


Singularity

by LanxBorealis



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Transcendence, Continuation of a drabble, Demons, Kinda Dark, Kinda PWP, Origin Story, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Sad, Transcendence AU, but not TOO dark, but not to much, does still have a proper ending, don't have to read that first though, i probably won't return, lots of sibling fluff, no real cliffhangers here!, now on hiatus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-18
Updated: 2015-06-09
Packaged: 2018-03-24 15:53:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3774568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LanxBorealis/pseuds/LanxBorealis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was over. Over when blue flames burst out of his skin, over when the first screams ripped out of his throat. All that's left is to pick up the pieces and try and put them back together. If he can, that is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Going Supernova

He was pulling. Pulling, pushing and burning.  
  
Burning so brightly; blue flames licking, tasting, enjoying his immortal soul.  
  
He also heard sharp, cold screams mixed with insane laughter.  
  
The laughter echoed inside him, mixing and harmonizing perfectly with his shrill screams.  
  
And he was still burning.  
  
If he could've heard over his own agony, over the laughter, the tears, the screams, and cackle of fire, he would have heard someone screaming for him. Shouting desperately at the top of their lungs.  
  
If he could've felt anything besides his very essence tearing and burning, he would've felt the familiar grip of hands around his shoulders, gripping him as hard as they could to try and put him back together.  
  
But he felt nothing from the outside. Heard nothing from the outside. All he felt was in his mind- no, his very soul. All he could feel was the flux of pushing, pulling, and burning.  
  
Burning bright. Burning out.  
  
Then, he saw.  
  
He was a spark. Blue flames that did what he bid. He was a wildfire; uncontrollably powerful. He was candlelight. Soothing, calm. He was the flames licking the sides of bricks in a fireplace, sharing warmth with those around him. He was fire. Crackling, laughing, sobbing, furious fire that left nothing unmarked.  
  
He was change. In constant flux between the lines of reality and dreams. Expectations and decisions.  
  
What was he? What was anyone? What was anything?  
  
Questions filled his mind, fast and furious. Yet, as fast as the questions came, there always seemed to be an answer. An answer so obvious, he couldn't believe he hadn't understood.  
  
The questions and answers came faster.  
  
He burned ever brighter.  
  
The screams got ever louder.  
  
The pushing and pulling came harder.  
  
And then, laughter. Laughter so familiar it hurt and then it stopped and then everything hurt.  
  
Hurt so horribly.  
  
He wasn't burning bright, but fast. To fast. He was going to supernova. His body- vessel- meat bag couldn't handle the flames. The knowledge. Reality itself, in his veins.  
  
He let himself push harder. Pull harder, the motions within his very soul.  
  
There was screaming again. But not like before. There was no coldness to it anymore. It was piercing. Childlike. Metallic.  
  
Agony in it's purest, most vocal form.  
  
He then realized that it was him that was screaming. Him that those sounds came from.  
  
And he was still burning.  
  
He didn't know when the feelings of pushing and pulling stopped. Didn't know when the questions died into a slow trickle then faded away, lost into the void, along with answers so obvious it hurt.  
  
The hurt was gone too. Nothing but raw, frigid numbness danced over his skin.  
  
His heart beat in his ears. A steady _thump-thump_. A steady spark.  
  
The universe flowed through his veins, thick and black filled with so much nothing, yet still empty with everything that could be thought of, dreamed of, wondered of.  
  
The choices, options, possibilities were endless.  
  
He was no longer burning.  
  
He was the fire. Flames didn't burn themselves, after all.  
  
He opened his eyes.  
  
He was in a cave. No, not a cave. He was underground. Earth surrounded him, yet wasn't oppressive in the slightest. He felt light, free.  
  
Slowly, he sat up. The numbness was still there. He couldn't even feel the dank, dry air on his skin.  
  
He let himself float to his feet. He couldn't feel the ground below.  
  
He looked down.  
  
And felt emotions and panic wash over him.  
  
He was black. Black, for lack of a better word, because not even black described what color he was. His body was the void. The area just beyond the edges of the multiverse...  
  
Multiverse? Multiple universes? Since when...?  
  
His questions were lost as he continued to gaze down at himself. Golden lines traced brick-like patterns into his...skin...?  
  
He knew what happened. How could he not? He knew...

...but refused to acknowledge it. He definitely didn't understand what happened. What he knew. He didn't know.  
  
He didn't know he was a demon. Didn't know anything about that. Nope, nothing.  
  
He took a look at the settings around him, trying to get his mind off his present...condition.  
  
There wasn't much room in the cavern. He vaguely remembered what happened before his body was usurped by a certain dream demon.  
  
Pieces and chunks of twisted, ruined metal and machinery littered his tomb. Sharp, blackened spikes poked out through the walls. Besides the messy machinery, rubble was settled all around him as well.  
  
Memories rushed around him. Of a certain portal. Of a certain dream demon. A pair of twins, along with some familiar, helpful friends.  
  
Vicious fighting.  
  
A dark plan.  
  
Failure. Victory.  
  
Push, pull, and release.  
  
He doubled over, his world spinning around him. He should be sick. He knew what happened. Knew, some way, some how, what had happened. He should feel sick. He should feel horrified. He should be glad. At least he wasn't dead, after all.  
  
But he didn't feel anything. He was still numb, still frozen in memories and happenings.  
  
Paralyzed.  
  
His mind moved faster, sluggishness moving forward into normalcy.  
  
Then, the worry set in.  
  
The feeling was explosive and encompassed his entire being. He felt as if his very soul ached from it, sore and painful. Like a burn.  
  
Who was hurt? Who- who died? Someone had to have died in the struggle that just happened. Everything had imploded, it wasn't possible that someone _hadn't_ died. That multiple people had to have died. Or get terribly injured.  
  
Sickness mixed in with the ache of worry within him.  
  
He hoped to everything. God, the multiverse, his universe, everything, that Mabel was okay. She had to be okay. She was okay. He couldn't let himself think or believe anything else. His twin was still here, still alive. He knew it. She had to be. She was alive. There wasn't any other option.  
  
Mabel was alive.  
  
But what about everyone else? Grunkle Stan, Wendy, Soos...  
  
What about them? What happened to them? They had to be okay. They...no. They were fine.  
  
Fine, fine, fine.  
  
He took a shuddering breath. Forcing himself to relax somewhat, he closed his eyes. He had to relax. He had to clear his mind of his soul wrenching worries. He had to keep a cool head if he wanted to get out of the cave-in.  
  
He walked- no, _floated_ over to where the recently-fixed-now-completely-disintegrated portal had been. Twisted, blackened metal was all that was left.  
  
_Wait_. He thought.  
  
He stilled himself, a thought coming to his mind. No, it couldn't possibly work, could it? There was no way...  
  
But he remembered the time Mabel tried to tackle Bill.  
  
And he was floating. Floating wasn't normal.  
  
No. He refused to acknowledge it. Didn't want to. Didn't- didn't _need_ to.  
  
He floated around the perimeter of his blackened tomb, trying to find a hole or crack he could wriggle through. Because he was human. A twelve-year-old human boy. That's all he was, all he could be.  
  
But he found nothing. No cracks big enough for him to get through. No holes. No nothing. Not even a ray of light.  
  
He glanced around the cave for the nth time. He knew, logically, that there was no way he should be able to see. However, it was clear as day. No, it was even clearer. He could see things he hadn't been able to see before.  
  
Spider-web cracks that filled the walls.  
  
Dust particles that floated lazily in the air, completely undisturbed by him.  
  
He shook his head violently. His mind kept wandering around. He couldn't seem to keep his mind on one topic for to long. He was never like this before....  
  
He quickly shook his head of that thought, that idea. No. He was already upset enough, barely able to hold on to his panic. He can't allow his mind to wander to darker thoughts. He'd have time to let himself...grieve? Was it grieving that he wanted? Needed? He wasn't sure but whatever conflict of emotions that were swirling underneath his void-like skin could wait.  
  
Turning his head upward, he squared his shoulders. Since there was no- no normal way out, it seemed he had to get out in the only other way.  
  
A way he wished wasn't an option to him.  
  
It didn't take much to will himself to float higher. Being weightless in this way was like standing. Moving, like walking, only with a few more directions to go in.  
  
He was flying higher and higher, the ceiling getting closer and closer.  
  
Then, he passed right on through.  
  
He knew he was intangible. It was a natural knowledge. Like how many legs and arms he had. He simply knew it because. There was no other reason.  
  
However, passing through objects was probably one of the strangest, most near-uncomfortable things he had ever done. Sure, he couldn't feel what was passing through him. There was no texture, no temperature, no nothing. But there was a certain...weight. A fullness that filled his very essence. It didn't hurt, but still...felt, in a way, very strange.  
  
The sight was also bothersome. Unlike the cavern, he actually couldn't see anything while inside. The earth was dark and black. Heavy.  
  
He knew when he was passing through wooden boards next. The wood...felt different. Less heavy. But the weight was still inside him.  
  
Finally, he was above ground.  
  
And he was horrified by what he saw.

There was almost nothing left. The room around him, which was once the gift shop, was in ruins. Large, blackened wooden beams were torn, sharp wooden teeth pointing in all directions. A fine, faint layer of dust had settled over everything possible, showing a few days' pass.  
  
He stared around a few more moments more, stomach rolling with anxious fears. He knew what had happened, but seeing it was completely different.  
  
Though he was still intangible, he carefully floated forward, going deeper into what had been the Mystery Shack.  
  
As he went into the living space, he noted that the destruction got less and less. Phasing into the living room, he noted that much of it was still intact. Sure, the T.V was knocked over and shattered, nearly everything had fallen off the walls, and the dinosaur skull used as a table had not only a large crack in it, but was black with smoke, but the room itself was still there. The wood that had fallen all around, somehow keeping the cracked wooden ceiling from falling down.  
  
Staring around for a few more seconds, he turned and floated upward, moving through to the second floor without incident, as expected.  
  
Upstairs wasn't much different as downstairs. Everything had collapsed, which was unsurprising, and most of the second floor had fallen through, meeting the teeth that was left of the bottom floor. Chunks of flooring and small bits of wall were still, barely, supported by blackened wooden beams that had fallen in just the right way, luckily enough.  
  
He stared at what had once been Mabel and his room. Everything was collapsed inwards, leaving nothing. Twists of ruined wood reached towards the sky in sorrowful need and agony.  
  
The picture made his stomach wrinkle into more knots.  
  
He closed his eyes tightly, feeling hot tears streak down his face.  
  
Why did this have to happen? Why?  
  
Though he couldn't actually touch anything, he collapsed to his knees, floating a couple inches above what was left of the flooring, and sobbed. His tears were furious, flooding. They dripped down off his face and floated around him, the color of molten, shining gold. They revolved around him like miniature, baby stars.  
  
Seeing the inhuman tears made him sob even harder, his breaths coming in sharp, shrill gasps.  
  
He didn't know how long he stayed there, crying out his eyes. It didn't seem the tears would stop. There was no water to run out of, after all.  
  
So he continued to sob.

His eyes screwed tightly together, he didn't notice the blood starting to seep through what was left of the ruins around him. He didn't see the sky blacken with thunderheads. He didn't even notice how the color started melting off everything, leaving the world around him black and white.  
  
Finally, after what felt like both an eternity and a few seconds, he wiped his eyes with the back of his black, void-like hand, flinging more small star-like tears away. Hiccuping slightly, he clambered to his feet. Stilling himself, he turned his head up to the fast approaching dusk, watching stars blink into existence.

The blood was gone. The clouds were gone. Color had seeped back where it belonged. He hadn't noticed the bend in reality.  
  
_How long had it been_? He wondered. Another strike of fear. _Where is everyone? Where did they go?_  
  
Closing his eyes. He let his mind wander.  
  
He knew where they were.  
  
Opening his eyes once again, he straightened himself up. Making his way to the edge of what was left of the second floor, he gently floated back down to the ground.  
  
He floated out to the tree line before turning around to take the destruction in in all it's glory.  
  
_Glory?_  
  
It was worse looking on the outside. Most the shack was in ruins, blackened and twisted. Large cracks in the earth converged from the middle, outwards.  
  
They were massive scars, impossible to mend. He felt as if his heart was breaking all over again. Though he had only lived in the shack for a short time, he felt...lost. Homeless.  
  
It was a disconnecting feeling.  
  
Turning back around to the forest in front of him, he started into the dark forest.  
  
He knew exactly where to go.  
  
The forest wasn't as dark as he thought it would be. Though he recognized it was, indeed, nighttime, he could see every groove in the trees, point out every thin vein in the leaves. He could hear the small snuffling of forest creatures make their way through the night. Could hear the cries and screams of the more supernatural creatures echo around him though they didn't fill him with fear, as they usually would have.  
  
His eyes continued to rove, trying to catch every image. His ears continued trying to every sound. His nostrils flared at the touch of new scents he hadn't noticed before. The smell of ash still penetrated the air, a scent he didn't notice back at the shack. There was also the smell of decaying leaves, soil, and animals wafting through, stronger than the scent of smoke and destruction. However, even the natural smells of the forest had nothing on the powerful stench of magic  
  
Magic. It had it's own smell. He couldn't really compare it to anything. It was strong, like a spice. Natural and earthy, bitter and sweet.  
  
He found he enjoyed the new found scent of magic. It seemed to fill him with energy and vigor. Breathing deeply, he continued on.  
  
The night fell swiftly as he made his way through the forest. Turning his head upwards, he was surprised to see that the usual bright sky was filled with thousands of more stars, creating a network of systems that he could have never noticed before. Pausing, he couldn't help but observe the sky in childlike wonder. He had always found the stars in the sky beautiful, especially sense he couldn't see it back home. Now, however... Well, it was like a blindfold had been taken off for the first time. He could see small, but thick bright clouds that could only be far-away nebulae.  
  
He was frozen in the beauty above him.  
  
Closing his eyes, he forced himself to turn away and continue onward.  
  
As he phased through foliage an trees, he couldn't help but notice that though the sounds of beasts called all around him, he had seen nor hide or hair of any creature.  
  
It was certainly strange, but he would worry about it later. Right now, he was on a mission.  
  
He floated through the forest all night, the scent of magic and earth filling him deeply. He was not tired.  
  
He didn't think he could get tired.  
  
He finally broke out of the second tree line, on the outskirts of the suburbia of Gravity Falls when a light pink blush started across the speckled sky.  
  
As expected, no one was out besides a few gnomes digging through a nearby trash can. Upon seeing him, they let out terrified screams and ran off under a fence, out of sight.  
  
He didn't know what to think of that reaction, but he hoped that it wouldn't happen again. Well, at least part of him.  
  
There was a second part; a small, dark part of his mind that laughed at the fear the gnomes displayed. Laughed...and loved it.  
  
He shook his dark musings away.  
  
Chanting the memorized address in his mind to prevent it from wandering away from him, as it seemed prone to do now, he floated down cracked and cloned streets.  
  
Finally, just as the blackness of the sky have away to the more vibrant colors of dark blue, pink, and orange, he found the familiar house of Soos.  
  
It was the same as always. Bit small and run-down, but homely none the less.  
  
He stared at it for a few more moments. No lights were on in the windows, though he expected that. It was early in the morning.  
  
Squaring his shoulders, he floated up to the house. He wasn't so sure how he was going to knock without being tangible, but he also didn't want to just barge in.  
  
However, before he could even face his dilemma, he ran straight into a burning wall.  
  
Hissing in pain, he stumbled back, completely surprised. Rubbing his forehead, which took the blunt of the pain, he sent a glare to the house in front of him.  
  
Nothing was there.  
  
Carefully straightening himself, he took a few tentative steps forward.  
  
Right there. He could sense it.  
  
A protective barrier.  
  
Though he couldn't see the barrier, now that he was paying a bit more attention, he could definitely feel it. It was a warning. _Stay back. Or I'll hurt you.  
_  
He wasn't so sure why it was in front of Soos's house.  
  
Keeping a two inch distance, he carefully floated around the house, trying to see if there were any holes in the barrier.  
  
There weren't.  
  
Propelling himself upwards, he used his sense to feel around for the barrier above.  
  
It was still there.  
  
Landing back on the sidewalk in front of the house, he couldn't help but let out a growl of annoyance.  
  
A literal growl.  
  
He tried not to let himself dwell on the fact that he could make very inhuman noises.  
  
Well, what was he supposed to do now? He wasn't so sure if he should try and break through the barrier or not. It had burned him the first time. Not exactly a painful burn, more like a warning, but it was still there none the less.  
  
Letting out an annoyed sigh, he crossed his legs and sat down. Well, sat as well as he could have. He still floated above ground a few inches.  
  
And he waited.  
  
Warm pinks and oranges faded into oblivion as the sky brightened into a lighter blue. Stars slowly blinked out of existence, unable to stand the brightness of a rising sun.  
  
He still waited.

And waited.  
  
And waited.  
  
The house didn't so much as twitch.  
  
The sun started breaking away from the Earth, tearing open the sky with bright blue that chased away the pinks and oranges completely.  
  
He watched at the morning paper landed in front of him, quite literally thrown right through him.  
  
He twisted around in surprise. Around him, adults were getting into cars, ready to go to work. An average day.  
  
No one so much as glanced at him.  
  
Like he wasn't even there.  
  
He suddenly felt very, very cold.  
  
Well, at least emotionally. Physically, he still felt nothing.  
  
He knew he was intangible. He also knew he wasn't a ghost. He also knew the gnomes had seen him.  
  
_Or felt you_. He thought to himself.  
  
He turned back to the house, uncertainty flashing through him. If he couldn't be seen, if he couldn't interact with the world, how was he going to let his family know he was okay? That he was still here?  
  
The door of the house opened up wide.  
  
He jumped up to his feet. Well, jumped, for lack of a better word. He was still floating, after all.  
  
Soos's _Abuelita_ came out if the house, still in her sleep wear. She glanced at the brightening sky with a sad smile on her worn features. Noticeably rolling her shoulders, she walked down to the side walk to get the paper.  
  
"Hey!" He called out, using his voice for the first time since waking up. He flinched at the sound. It wasn't quite his pre-pubescent twelve-year-old voice. There were undertones of what his voice had sound like, but most of it was drowned in a deeper, darker tone.  
  
It was his voice.  
  
Yet it wasn't.  
  
Soos's _Abuelita_ didn't notice.  
  
She walked up and bent down, lightly grabbing the paper, her hand crinkling the milky plastic that covered it.  
  
"Wait!" He cried out again.  
  
Once again, nothing. The old woman simply straightened up, lightly complained about her back, and turned to go back into the house.  
  
Letting out another growl, he followed the older woman, running straight into the invisible barrier once again. This time, however, he didn't let himself get pushed back.  
  
He watched Soos's _Abuelita_ go back into her house, oblivious.  
  
He pushed on the barrier, throwing all of his weight into it. He wanted to get into the house. Needed to. Mabel was in that house. He knew it, could feel it. He had to see her.  
  
Bright, thick blue flames exploded out of his body, completely burning away the barrier, letting him stumble on through.  
  
Right at the same time, the sound of something breaking echoed inside the house, along with some surprised shouts.  
  
He stilled, unsure what happened. He felt drained. Not exactly physically tired, nor mentally. Just...slightly weaker.  
  
He milled outside the house. The surprised noise faded away into quiet murmurs, something he would never have been able to hear before.  
  
Steeling himself, he phased into the house.  
  
He floated in the foyer, staring at the scene before him.  
  
Soos's _Abuelita_ was staring down at a small pile of ashes on the ground, eyes wide, muttering in distressed Spanish under her breath.  
  
" _Abuelita?_ What's going on?" A sleepy Soos said, recently awoken, rubbing sleep from his eyes.  
  
She was obviously shaken, eyes widened in fear. "It-it burst into flames. _Llamas azules_."  
  
Soos woke up after that. "What? Flames?"  
  
"The cross given to me by my _la hermana_." She replied. "It just burned up."  
  
"Uhh, I'm going to go get Mr. Pines." Soos said nervously, glancing around as he did so.  
  
His eyes roved right over him.  
  
Soos, as expected, couldn't see him.  
  
Soos left the foyer, going deeper into the house. He followed.  
  
Soos (unknowingly) led him into the living room.  
  
He felt his metaphorical heart leap at the sight of Grunkle Stan, grouchy looking as ever, sitting up in the pull-out couch. His gray hair was messy and greasy, hanging in his worn face. More stubble than usual clung to his jaw and thin bags hung under his eyes. His gut bulged under his white undershirt, stained with sweat and natural grime. Despite his Grunkle's haggard appearance, he never felt so grateful seeing him alive and unhurt.  
  
"-it burned up too? I didn't know glass could burn." Soos commented.  
  
He hadn't realized the two had started talking.  
  
Stan simply stared at the blackened pieces of shattered glass on the ground that used to be another cross on the wall. His eyes were narrowed in deep thought, fists tightening.  
  
Before he could dwell on his Grunkle's behavior, he floated around the pull-out, freezing as he saw a familiar lump curled up tightly under the white covers.  
  
She was in fetal position, buried under the sheets, only the light red tip of her nose poking out of a giant, dirty mane of fuzzy brown hair.  
  
He felt his breath hitch in relief. She was okay. She was okay.  
  
He floated closer to her, noting a heaviness around the small body.  
  
Mabel was having a nightmare.  
  
He knew it. He could feel it, practically taste it.  
  
It made him sick.  
  
Another reminder of what he was.  
  
He drifted ever closer to his twin, feeling heat and fearful darkness roll off her in waves.  
  
"-think it's a demon?" Soos said in the background. Whipping his head around, he saw Stan and Soos standing up, across the room, observing what had been a cross.  
  
"Most likely. Only powerful demons can destroy things like this. At least, I think so." Stan muttered, staring around suspiciously.  
  
Soos shuddered and tried to get closer to the older man, only to be pushed away.  
  
"But I don't see anything." Soos said, glancing around.  
  
He shuddered.  
  
Powerful demon.  
  
Destruction.  
  
He took a few steps back from Mabel, looking at the young girl in pain and fear.  
  
Powerful, destructive demon.  
  
He felt tears prick his eyes once again.  
  
Through the golden liquid, he watched as both Stan and Soos left the room, saying something about checking other crosses and such in the house.  
  
He was alone with Mabel.  
  
Carefully, he hovered over the bed, next to his sister's still form. Fear and stress clouded her, a thick and depressing smog. He knew if he moved her mound of hair to see her face, her eyes would be moving rapidly under tightly closed lids while her mouth would be turned down in a tight frown.  
  
He wasn't so sure what made him do it. Perhaps it was instinct. Or perhaps it was him wanting to take care of his other half. Whatever the case, he carefully placed his void-like hand on her head, watching as the black hand fade as he fell into her mind.

~TCCBJVLRGVRCQUVNQWTWRHWNNP~

Mabel's dream wasn't really what he expected it to be. He knew it was a nightmare, but he didn't think it would be so foggy. Nor did he expect wild blue fire, horrible screams of pain, and uncontrollable sobbing.  
  
He couldn't see much. Everything was so convoluted that it was hard to make anything out, really. Most of the nightmare seemed more focused on negative feelings and bits of memory, not what really happened.  
  
He floated easily through the depressive smog, easily feeling where his twin was in the confusion. She was right in the middle of the storm, kneeling over a murky, fiery form, tears streaking down her face.  
  
He approached her cautiously, the storm of the nightmare parting before him with his determination to chase Mabel's fears away.  
  
Standing before his sister, he carefully wrapped his two void arms around her, pulling her close, whispering words of comfort into her hair.  
  
He didn't really know what he was doing, didn't know exactly how he was doing what he was doing, either. All he wanted was Mabel's bad dreams gone.  
  
He felt her tears starting to dry as the mad storm around him ceased. He could clearly feel the warm sun beating down on his body, feel a light breeze pass by him, even sense the soft grass and wild flowers he was crouched on.  
  
Mabel slowly pulled away from him. Her eyes, which had been glued shut by negativity and tears were open wide; brown and watery.  
  
Despite him looking nothing like before, despite his void-like skin and golden, inhuman tears in his eyes, she stared at him without fear.  
  
"Dipper...?" She murmured. Her eyes fluttered close...  
  
Next thing he knew, he was crouched on the pull-out, Mabel's arms wrapped tightly around him. He could feel tears of joy bubbling from her eyes and falling onto him.  
  
"Dipper! I- I thought you were...that you were...! But you're not! Oh my God!"  
  
Closing his eyes, he allowed slightly distorted sounding laughter trickle out. Pure joy filled him as his other half laughed along with him. Tearful, inane, grateful laughter.  
  
He watched as his void-like body seemed to _glitch_ , for lack of a better word. Pixels of peach skin closed over him.

  
He wanted to be with his sister. His twin. His other half.  
  
That's all he wanted.  
  
Human skin closed around him, the familiar weight of a hat fell in his head.  
  
Dipper buried his face in Mabel's hair.  
  
He could touch her.  
  
She could see him.  
  
Everything would be alright.  



	2. A New Era

Mabel pulled away from him slowly, a clear and bright smile on her lips and in her eyes.

Eyes that still watered with old sadness and new joy.

"Bro-bro..." She said, holding onto his newly formed shirt.

"Mabel..." He echoed, still holding onto her.

The twins were silent, simply enjoying each others' presence, glad that the other was okay. Nothing needed to be said. Everything was right.

The sound of light footsteps filled the air.

"Mabel?" A familiar voice asked, worry can confusion clear.

"Grunkle Stan! Look! Dipper's back! He's okay!" Mabel gushed, keeping an arm wrapped around her bro while waving the other around madly with happiness.

Stan's face fell into what looked like sympathy, and perhaps even some hints of suspicion. "Mabel...Dipper...Dipper didn't make it. We've already been through this..."

Mabel pouted up at him, her brows furrowing as she did so. "What? Don't be silly! Bro-bro's right here!" To prove her point, she lightly shook Dipper by the shoulders.

"Mabel." Dipper said quietly. "I-I think only you can see me." After a pause, "and touch me."

She turned to stare at him. "Must be a twin thing." She commented.

Dipper have her a wane smile. "Guess so."

"Wait. You're telling me that Dipper is right there." Stan pointed slightly to the the right of Dipper. "And only you can see him? Is he a ghost or something?"

Mabel turned to look at her brother. Her brother, who was still floating a few inches above the pull-out, who somehow transformed from a living nightmare back into a nearly normal human. Her brother, who, even now had black eyes with pupils the color of burning gold, sharp shark-like teeth, and long pointed claws.

"Not exactly." Dipper answered softly, knowing Stan couldn't hear him.

Mabel stared at him. She knew what happened. Somewhat. Knew her brother wasn't exactly a ghost. She wasn't stupid, after all.

"He's- he's not a ghost."

Stan's eyes narrowed slightly before widening again. All the crosses in the house getting destroyed at the same time, the appearance of a boy thought dead, visible only to Mabel, amazingly enough...

"Dipper's a demon, isn't he." Stan replied darkly, his mind spinning a mile a minute. It made no sense, yet it all added up in a twisted way. The blue flames, the...the screaming. And now the crosses, the invisibility.

Mabel simply nodded along blankly, tightening her arm around his shoulders.

Dipper said nothing.

The three sat there for what felt like hours, hearing Soos and his Abuelita clean up the destroyed crosses in the background.

Where could they go from here? How could they go from here?

Finally, Stan sat back down on the pull-out, staring intensely at where he thought Dipper's face was, only off by about two inches to the right.

"Listen, kid. I'm not so sure what's going on. I- I don't exactly know how this happened. But you're still the same kid who blows up things in the microwave with Soos. Bet you still sneeze like a kitten, too. And you're still Mabel's brother."

Dipper was staring at his Grunkle with large, disbelieving and hopeful eyes.

Stan rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward. He was never good at this mushy stuff, after all. He grunted in annoyance.

"What I'm trying to say is that... This-" he gestured vaguely to Dipper. "Doesn't change anything."

Dipper's eyes watered with emotion, thick golden tears blurring his eyesight.

Mabel hugged her brother tighter, watching a few tears float away in amazement.

"Aww, Grunkle Stan! You made him cry with happiness!" Mabel gushed, smiling broadly.

Stan shook his head, unsure of what to say.

So he said nothing.

The three sat there; a smiling girl, a grouchy but happy old man, and a tearful demon.

"So...do you know how, uh, you ended up like this?" Stan finally asked after a few beats.

Dipper glanced up at Stan, surprised but happy that the older man was addressing him directly.

"Well, I'm not so sure. I mean, I-I think I k-killed Bill Cipher and somehow...somehow got his powers." Though it was a statement, Dipper posed it more like a question. He hung his head again. Killed. He had killed Bill Cipher. He couldn't quite wrap his head around both the demon's death and his own hand in the killing. He knew that was what happened in the most basic way, but it was still so hard to visualize.

Mabel gripped his hand tightly, silently giving her support as she parroted the message to Stan.

Stan looked at them quietly, noting Mabel's hand squeezing the air tightly, other arm wrapped around invisible shoulders.

"Well...I never thought you'd have it in ya kid, to be honest."

"I never wanted this to happen! I- I  _killed_ someone." Dipper replied, ignoring the fact that Stan couldn't hear him.

"Dipper." Mabel said sternly. "Bill was an evil triangle demon who tried to destroy the world! You saved the world, dumb-dumb."

Dipper shook his head. "Not destroy the world, merge it with the Mindscape. That was his plan."

Mabel rolled her eyes. "Same difference."

Dipper groaned.

Stan raised an eyebrow, already slightly annoyed that he could only hear half the conversation. "Care to explain what you guys are talking about?"

"Dipper's upset that he had to kill Bill to save the world."

Dipper opens his mouth to correct her, ignoring that it would be pointless too, however Stan cut in perfectly. "Look, kid. Sometimes you have to do things- things you wouldn't normally do, to protect what you love, whether that be family, friends, or the world itself. You did what you had to do. And honestly? The world's better off without a creature like Bill. You did a good thing, Dipper."

Dipper stared at Stan, open-mouthed.

He was right.

There had been no other option. It was either spare Bill, or give up the world.

It was obvious what the right choice was.

Dipper smiled.

"Uh, hey dudes. What's going on in here?" Soos asked, coming into the room.

Stan and Mabel looked at each other, unsure of what to say. How do you explain to a man-child that their best friend somehow turned into a demon and couldn't be seen by anyone but Mabel?

Mabel decided to simply go for it, as she usually does. "Dipper's alive! But only I can see him. Oh, and he's a demon now."

Soos stared at her, surprised.

"Wow, what?"

Mabel nodded quickly, her hair fluffing out.

"Yup."

"So, I'm guessing he's right there, right?" Soos said. Though his eyes were still wide and his hands trembled slightly, his voice was still perfectly even.

Mabel lightly shook her brother. "Right on target!"

Soos blinked, then smiled. "No wonder all the crosses burst into flames! I was kinda worried for a second."

Dipper stared at Soos in disbelief. "What? How can you not be worried anymore. I-I'm a demon! I'm like Bill!"

Mabel slapped a hand over her brother's mouth. "He can't hear you, bro-bro. And don't you dare compare yourself to Bill." She scolded, voice highlighted with a rare anger.

Soos's eyes widened. "Whoa. What does the triangle guy have to do with this?"

Mabel's eyes flickered over to Dipper. "I killed Bill...and absorbed his powers. That's why I'm a demon." He looked at Mabel. "That's how I stopped your nightmare. I have Bill's powers now."

Mabel parroted what Dipper told her to the other two.

Stan nodded, all the pieces coming together.

Bill using the portal to merge the Mindscape with reality.

Him, the twins, Soos, and Wendy trying to stop him.

Bill's failure.

Bill's anger.

Bill disappearing into Dipper's body.

The screaming. The blue fire.

The entire room collapsing inward as the portal started it's countdown to implosion.

Him tearing Mabel away from her brother before her hand's got burned.

Forcefully caring her away, leading both Soos and Wendy out as everything crumbled around him.

Leaving Dipper behind.

Stan hung his head. He saw the whole picture now. Understood, to a degree, what had happened.

But at least Dipper was still here.

At least his decision didn't kill the boy, as he had thought.

A great weight had been lifted from the older man. He didn't kill Dipper. His choice didn't leave the twelve-year-old dead.

Stan let himself tune back into the conversation at hand, listening to the half conversation between Mabel and Dipper, with Soos adding in when he could.

"Think you could shoot lasers now?" Soos asked, obviously aiming the question to Dipper.

A brief pause, a reply only Mabel could ever possibly hear.

"He says he doesn't think so." She translated. (Was that what she was doing? Translating?)

"I wonder what sorta cool powers ya got." Soos wondered.

There was another pause, a huff from Mabel, "What? I don't want to say that!"

Another pause, then Mabel finally muttered out, "Dipper says he doesn't know and doesn't want to know." She the brightened. "Though, I think it would be cool if you had acidic rainbow spit!" She gave the space next to her a wry grin.

Stan couldn't help but roll his eyes at Mabel's antics.

He could only imagine what Dipper was grumbling about under his breath in protest.

"What? No it wouldn't! It'd be awesome!" Mabel said to Dipper.

"Okay, okay. Let's get back on track." Stan said suddenly. Though he knew what happened, to the best degree he could possibly ever know, honestly, he'd knew the kid would have questions of his own. It actually surprised him that the I-Must-Know-The-Secrets-Of-The-Universe Dipper hadn't asked already. "Don't you have any questions, kid?" Stan asked, looking (hopefully) at where his face was.

Dipper blinked. Just like his Grunkle Stan, Dipper was surprised at himself. Normally, he'd be spouting off questions a mile a minute, trying to piece everything together. Heck, he didn't even know how long he was gone! Yet here he was, questions bubbling in the back of his mind, ready to pop, and him sitting here not getting anything even close to productive done! It was out of character.

And that thought sent a new flash of fear through him.

Trusting Mabel to reiterate what he was going to ask, he tried his best to calmly ask what he wanted to know.

"Um, yeah. How long was I-uh, gone?" He asked.

"About a week? Something like that." Mabel answered for him.

"Three days, not counting today." Stan corrected gruffly, knowing that Dipper had just asked how long he had been gone. Even invisible, the kid wasn't too hard to figure out.

"Three days?" Dipper echoed weakly. He couldn't remember much. Just flames, pain, and screaming. How could have he been gone for so long? "I'm sorry." He whispered, knowing there was no way to take back the missing days.

"Hey! Why are you apologizing?" Mabel asked. "It's not like you meant to be gone for so long." She cocked an eyebrow. "Right?"

Dipper gave his twin a grateful grin. Mabel always seemed to know what to say to make him feel better.

"Right." He agreed. "So, uh, is everyone okay? Well, what I mean..."

Mabel's smile didn't fail. "No one was hurt. Grunkle Stan got everyone out in time!"

Dipper relaxed some more. Wendy was fine. And no one had to go to the hospital. That made him feel tons lighter, knowing his actions left no one worse for wear.

"Good." He choked out.

Stan blinked as he remembered something. "Oh, uh, I forgot to mention something."

"Oh yeah!" Mabel said, smiling wide. She couldn't keep the joy out of her face and tone.

"Huh?" Dipper questioned.

"Soos, pass the remote." Mabel asked.

"You got it, dude." He said, handing the remote over.

Mabel stuck her tongue out a bit as she smashed her finger on the power-button.

The old T.V started up slowly, the picture fading into existence. Gripping the remote tightly, she smashed the half-responsive channel buttons, scrolling through the networks until she finally landed on CNN.

"-And the president still hasn't released an official statement about the mysterious and bizarre happenings that are going on all over the world. It seems like there will be no end to this insanity anytime soon..."

Dipper stared at the frazzled news reporter onscreen, mouth open as he saw video after video of supernatural beings running amuck. New York, San Francisco, even Washington D.C.

The supernatural wasn't confined to just Gravity Falls anymore.

"What? How is this possible?!" Dipper said, getting up to float closer to the T.V.

"The supernatural is coming out everywhere all over the world." Mabel said.

"Oh yeah. It's really messing with the established system of the world's governments and many well-spoken leaders and politicians all over the world are frightened and confused on what to do; worrying about a complete collapse of civilization as we know it." Soos added in.

Everyone stared at the handyman in surprise. None of them were expecting the man-child Soos to say  
Something so...profound. And worrying.

"Yeah...so that's happening." Mabel said after a beat of awkward silence. "Anarchy! Anarchy!" She cheered as an afterthought.

"What? How? Why? And-and everyone was acting normal outside...!" Dipper gasped, his mind working over-time to understand and accept what has happened. On one hand, he felt a childish glee, an 'I told you so!' Type of feeling. On another hand, fear of how the world will take the dramatic change.

And a small part, in a dark place inside him, laughed at the stupidity of humans and the horror they felt now that their ignorance was gone.

He squashed all thoughts of those feeling.

"Weird things happen all the time here. As for all this happened, I don't know." Mabel answered him sheepishly. "Grunkle Stan, why is this happening?"

Stan shrugged. "I don't know."

"How do you not know?"

"Do I look like a walking encyclopedia? Don't answer that!"

Mabel giggled.

Dipper continued to stare at the T.V. Videos of all sorts of supernatural creatures were playing while a number of people tried their best to discuss what was happening without freaking out.

They were failing.

Dipper furrowed his brow. His thoughts wandered everywhere and he let them, a natural flow of the mind that he had been opposes sing before. Logic flowed with absurdities that he couldn't ever hope to explain but knew as truth.

"He might have failed in completely merging the two dimensions, but he weakened the walls. Weakened them enough all over the world, letting everything cross over."

Mabel stared at him with wide eyes. She hadn't expected an answer. She hadn't expected Dipper to know the answer.

"What?" She asked.

Dipper blinked then turned to Mabel who was staring at him with unblinking eyes. He couldn't quite read her expression.

"Well, that's what's happening." He said weakly, giving a thin and watery smile.

Mabel cracked a smile. "Well, look who's all smarty McMuffin-pants now!"

Dipper gave her a look. "Where do you even come up with this stuff?" He asked rhetorically as Mabel turned to parrot what he said to Soos and Stan.

"Can't say I know a lot about dimensions and stuff, but I guess that makes sense." Stan snorted.

Soos jut looked at Mabel with wide eyes. "Cool." Was all he said.

Stan stood up suddenly. "Well, now that that's cleared up, I'm going by the shack to see how much it'll cost to fix it." He then frowned, muttering as he went to get dressed."Stupid demon. Shouldn't have to waste money in this..."

"Well, why he's doing that, let's go get Wendy! We have to tell her you're still alive!" Mabel gushed.

"I wouldn't call myself alive, really..." Dipper replied, unsure.

Mabel blew a raspberry at him. "Whatever! Let's go! Coming with us, Soos?"

"Sorry dudes. Gotta go and explain some of this stuff to _Abeulita_."

"Would she mind Dipper hanging around?"

Soos glanced around. "She went to her room and locked herself in. I think she's praying but I'm sure it'll be fine, dudes! Don't worry about it!"

Mabel grabbed Dipper's hand, tearing him from the T.V. "Let's go, bro-bro!"

Dipper allowed himself to be pulled out of the house and down the street. As he expected, the people of Gravity Falls seemed to be acting pretty much the same. Bored and slow. Floating along next to sister who was chattering a mile a minute about glitter or something. Looking (slightly) down at his sister, he noted that despite her easy grin and bounce in her step, she was still wearing some day clothes, consisting of a blue sweater with nothing on it for once and a wrinkly purple skirt with a couple of stains in it. The skin around her eyes was purple, light bags hanging under her eyes. Her hair was in a number of dirty, frizzy knots.

"Mabel, don't you think we should go back so you could, uh, clean up?" He asked. In all honesty, he was surprised that Mabel was walking freely outside looking so messy.

"That can wait, Dipping-sauce! We gotta go get Wendy!" She said.

Accepting his sister's decision, he continued to float alongside her, smiling lazily as his Mabel spouted off her odd conversation topics and non-sequiturs.

Nothing had changed.

~TCCBJVLRGVRCQUVNQWTWRHWNNP~

It didn't take too long walking (or in Mabel's case skipping) to Wendy's house. As you would expect from a lumberjack family, the Corduroy's lived just inside the woods, not to deep to get lost, but far enough away from suburbia.

Dipper felt fear spike through him once again. Fear and unease. How would she take all this? Would she hate him now for what he was? Be upset? Scared? He didn't want anyone to be afraid of him...

'Liar.' The dark part of his soul whispered.

He shivered.

Once again shaking his ever increasing dark thoughts away, he and Mabel, hand in hand, approached the wooden home.

Mabel have his hand a reassuring squeeze as they stood before the home.

With her other hand, she knocked, loud and confident.

There was the sound of many feet stomping around on the inside and someone yelling.

"GO ANSWER THE DOOR!"

"I DON'T WANNA!"

"NEITHER DO I!"

"GO ANSWER IT!"

"NO, YOU!"

"NO YO-"

BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP! YOU'LL WAKE DAD! I'LL GET THE DOOR!" A familiar female voice yelled over the other twos' squabbling. Some more stomping, angry mutters, and finally a frazzled, dirty Wendy still in pajamas answered the door. Like Mabel, the skin around her eyes was stained purple and sagging with light bags. Her face was red, either from sleep or tears. Her hair was an absolute mess. She reeked of sweat.

"Wendy!" Mabel cried out, grabbing the red-head in a bear hug. "Wendy! Wendy! Wendy! IgotsomegreatnewsDipperisstillherewellnotreallyherehe'sinvi-"

Wendy clamped a hand over Mabel's mouth. "Whoa there, slow down."

Mabel took a deep breath. Still grilling his hand, she repeated, much slower now. "Dipper isn't dead! He's still here! Except he's invisible now and only I can see him because we're twins."

She glanced over to Dipper, a silent question in her eyes; could she tell Wendy that he was a demon now?

Dipper gave a small nod.

"And he's a demon now."

Wendy seemed shocked; like she didn't know what to say or how exactly to react. Closing the door behind her, she shakily sat down on the porch.

"Care to-to run that by me again?"

"Dipper killed Bill, saved then world, and became a demon and can only be seen by me because twins."

Wendy nodded. "Okay. This is-that's okay." She glanced at where Mabel was gripping the air. "Is Dipper right there?" She asked, pointing slightly to the left where she was floating.

Mabel bobbed her head quickly. "Yup!"

Wendy gave the area Dipper was a smile filled with relief. "Thank God you're okay. I-I thought you died." She said shakily.

Though she couldn't see it, Dipper returned Wendy's relieved smile with one of his own. "I-I" he began uncertainty. Thick emotion flooded him, filling him with delight of his friend's and family's easy acceptance. They didn't care what he was, they just wanted him safe and happy. "Thank you." He whispered.

Mabel rolled her eyes. Dipper kept forgetting that only she could see or hear him.

"Dipper's about to cry again from happiness, I think." She informed Wendy.

"What? No I wasn't!" Dipper protested.

Wendy cocked an eyebrow. "What? Why?"

"I dunno. He's been emotional all day." She said lightly. Despite her words however, the bright grin hadn't left her lips or eyes.

"It's kinda hard not too." Wendy replied. She had her own joyful grin on her face, one that wasn't going to leave anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to remind you guys this will be a pretty slow-moving story.
> 
> I currently have six chapters completed now and I haven't started on the seventh. I'm going to try and keep five chapters ahead of what's posted so third chapter will be posted after I've written the seventh, so that will probably be a week from now.


	3. Putting the Pieces Back Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This is now posted on my Tumblr! (name's Lanx Borealis) I'll probably post things there first as well as post dates I'll update this and such (plus shitty fanart. that's always a bonus.) So you should totally go and check it out and shiz.

Stan grumbled as he stared at the shack. Really? An implosion? Really? He suppose it could've been worse. The shack could've been a smoking crater instead.

He still wasn't happy, however. He had the money to fix it, luckily enough. But still, spending money was painful.

He let out a grunt of a sigh. First zombies, now demons. What was next?

Well, actually, it was better not dwell on the fact. He didn't want to think about next time.

He watched Mabel out of the corner of his eye. Said girl was running all over the construction site, holding Dipper's invisible hand, while talking a mile a minute.

Despite the disturbances, however, the workers continued, completely ignoring the girl.

It hadn't taken too long to get construction going again. While the rest of the world was in a tizzy over the supernatural, Gravity Falls continued it's normal routine, unbothered. People still went to work. Bars were still full of drunks. Children still played in the street. Construction for the shack is possible.

"Mabel, stop bothering the workers!" Stan yelled as said girl started hopping back and forth over some wooden planks.

She simply giggled loudly, joy evident on her face. A few seconds later, she was seemingly dragged away by an invisible force. He could hear her loud complaints even from where he was standing.

Stan watched with a single eye as Dipper dragged her away from the house to the tree line before disappearing into the forest.

Just inside the forest, Mabel continued to complain to her brother.

"Dipper! You're no fun!"

"They're trying to fix the shack, Mabel. Your getting in their way."

"So were you!"

"No I wasn't."

She scowled at him. She was still getting used to being the only one able to see Dipper and likewise, Dipper was still trying to get used to the fact that no one else could see or hear him. It was annoying, really. And a bit lonely as well. He missed being able to talk to the others without using Mabel as a median. Hopefully in time, it'll become normal.

"So what do you want to do?" Dipper finally asked.

Mabel collapsed onto the forest floor. "Ugh, I don't know. If I'd known hanging out here would be so boring, I wouldn't have come! Now we're stuck here!"

Dipper shrugged. "I warned you that it would be boring. And I doubt Grunkle Stan will drive us into town."

Mabel let out another loud groan. "He's been in such a bad mood lately."

Dipper gave a one-shouldered shrug. "What do you expect? Not only does he have to pay to get the shack fixed, but also for our motel room, food, and stuff."

Mabel scowled a bit. "Yeah, I know." She looked up at Dipper, who had a forlorn look in his golden eyes. "Hey, stop doing that!" She called out.

He blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Stop thinking. I know you still think this is your fault, but you need to stop with that. We can't change the past, so we might as well look to the future, right?"

Dipper sunk down, sitting next to his sister. He chuckled lightly. "Yeah, I know, I know."

She gave him a metal-filled toothy grin. "Sooo...since we can't go into town or hang around the shack, wanna go explore?"

Dipper frowned a bit. "I don't know...I mean if you get in trouble, I wouldn't be able to help you. Plus, we don't have the journal."

"Oh yeah. What happened to that thing anyways?"

"I have no clue. It's probably ashes." Sadness was etched into his features.

Mabel gave him a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay, Dipper. Now let's go!" And with that, she jumped up to her feet and ran deeper into the forest.

"Mabel! Wait up!" Dipper cried, following her into the woods.

"Mabel!" He yelled out.

She laughed. "Try and catch me, Dipping-sauce!" She cheered.

Letting out a groan, Dipper flew to her faster, gaining ground quickly. Stretching out his arms, he lightly grabbed her sweater.

The momentum caused them both to fall in a messy heap. Dipper couldn't help but laugh alongside his sister.

He was so busy laughing, he didn't notice Mabel cracking a wide mischievous grin before tackling and tickling him.

"Haha...Mabel s-stop it!" He gasped between chuckles.

Pretty soon, he started tickling her back, causing large guffaws to leave her lips. Both rolled around in the partially decaying leaves, Mabel getting grass-stains all over her clothes.

Finally, both of them pulled away from one another. In Mabel's case, letting out large pants between giggles.

Dipper simply chuckled. Though he had been tickled most harshly, he didn't feel any pain or pressure. A slight pang went through him when he realized he would never feel most sensations such as being out of breath again. However, seeing Mabel so light, carefree, and safe chased every bad thought away.

Mabel tended to have that effect.

She rolled up to her feet, skirt and bright pink sweater covered in pieces of vegetation and stains.

Dipper straightened up, lightly floating to his feet.

"So now what?" Dipper asked, pulling the collar of his shirt.

Mabel shrugged. "I don't know." Then, she proceeded to dust herself off to the best of her ability and continued on into the forest.

Dipper sighed and followed her, using his sense to keep a close watch. When Mabel got like this, there was nothing that could stop her.

The twins moved side-by-side, a comfortable silence lightly feathering around them. Mabel hummed while the natural sounds of the forest echoed around them. Light filtered through the trees, soft and delicate like stained glass windows. The crunch of grass and leaves was quiet underfoot and a predictable pattern that was easy to focus on.

Only when the sun started climbing down from it's climax midday did the twins decide to turn and return to the construction site.

They made their way back, slow and steady. Despite Dipper's earlier worries, nothing had appeared. Even small forest animals seemed to avoid him.

He was torn into two once again; hatred for what had happened and love of the fear.

These feelings happened quite often, more than he wanted to admit. He fought to not let his mind wander.

He was snapped back to reality when Mabel gripped his hand tighter, stopping suddenly while whispering "Dipper." Under her breath.

Dipper blinked as he looked at where Mabel was staring.

With the way Mabel acted and his own suspicion and paranoia, Dipper was expecting something along the lines of some sort of monster. A gremloblin, perhaps or another type of beast. In the brief time between Mabel's frenzied whisper and him looking where she stared, the thoughts of everything passed through his mind. Even gnomes and wolves, though they weren't that in that deep.

Instead, he saw a few floating lights hanging delicately in the air. Tinkling laughter not unlike a bell rung softly inside his ears, much too quiet for Mabel to hear.

"What are they?" Mabel whispers to him, holding perfectly still for once. A bright, excited light shined in her eyes.

"Faeries." Breathed Dipper, just as soft.

The two watched the fae in front of them, keeping as still and quiet as they could. They didn't seem to do much, observing them as they did. They simply floated in the air, light flickering around them like a halo.

Dipper focused on the creatures before him, amazement filling him. Despite his...situation, the supernatural still remained being his primary interest and love. Though he read about them in his journal, he'd never actually seen faeries before.

It reminded him that the supernatural didn't just contain beasts and monsters, but other delicate and beautiful creatures as well.

Dipper wasn't so sure how long they stood there, watching the fae. Dipper was sure the group was talking to one another, and could even hear clumps of random words within the ringing bells that was their laughter and speech.

It was peaceful, that is until Dipper ruined it.

Once again, he felt horrible and awkward in his clothing. He felt...under dressed. Gross. He lightly flicked the side of his shorts while pulling on the collar of his shirt once again, unable to stop a disgusted hiss escape from his mouth.

At once, the faeries finally seemed to realize that they were not alone. The lights blinked as they turned towards them. At first, everything was silent.

Then the screaming started.

The once peaceful and quiet faeries let out high pitched screams of terror as they fled, their colorful lights blinking out of existence.

A beat of silence, then...

"What was that about?!" Mabel asked, eyes wide with confusion.

Dipper frowned. "I'm not so sure..." He replied, his voice trailing off as he fell back into his thoughts. This was the second time it happened. First the gnomes in the neighborhood and now the faeries. Dipper wasn't so sure if they'd seen or if they'd sensed him. He wasn't so sure now. They hadn't ran off (flown off?) when they had found them, which means they didn't sense him.

They saw him.

Dipper supposed it made sense. He was supernatural now, (he wouldn't say or think what he actually was.) they were supernatural. It only made sense they could see him too.

The screaming however was annoying.

"Dipper?"

Dipper looked at his twin, blinking slowly. Her eyes had a slight worry to them.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

Dipper gave her a small smile. "Yeah. I'm- I'm fine. Just a bit surprised is all."

Mabel looked like she didn't quite believe him. "Well, now we know why we didn't run into any trouble! Looks like we don't have to worry about getting attacked." She said brightly, trying to lighten the mood.

Dipper let his smile stretch a bit. "I'm fine, Mabel. Really. Let's go home."

Mabel relaxed at the almost too-wide grin that her brother gave her, not bothered by the too sharp teeth that he bared. "S'go!" She cheered, taking off ahead of him.

She couldn't fight her own grin climbing onto her face as her brother took off after her, shouting out her name in exasperation.

~TCCBJVLRGVRCQUVNQWTWRHWNNP~

Mabel collapsed into her bed, staring up at the gray ceiling. Stretching across the hard, cheap mattress, she couldn't stop the yawn that hijacked her mouth.

"Grunkle Stan, I want pizzaaaaa." She whined.

Grunkle Stan scowled at her. "I've already told you, no pizza. Delivery's way too expensive. They actually expect a tip by doing their job!"

Mabel buried her head into the rough pillow. "Pizzaaaaa..." She moaned again.

"No." He replied firmly. "We need to conserve as much money as we can. This motel room isn't cheap, ya know!"

Unbeknownst to Grunkle Stan, however, Dipper rolled his eyes. Floating in the corner of the room, he let his eyes rove over the room.

As anyone would expect, Stan got the cheapest motel room he could find complete with pale gray walls, vomit-colored carpeting that not only had questionable stains in it but wall peeling up in a number of areas, a single bed with a small end table, and not much else. Dead June bugs littered the ground and smacked against the one grimy window they had while flies and mosquitoes buzzed around the room. Cockroaches happily scurried along the walls, their feelers flickering around as they did so.

Dipper sneered in disgust. How Mabel was able to sit in a room like this was a mystery to him. At least he was invisible and intangible.

"Pizzaaaaaa." Mabel moaned again.

"No."

"Dipper wants pizza too. He told me." Mabel said.

"Mabel! Don't put words in my mouth!" Dipper exclaimed at the same time Stan said, "no he didn't. He can't eat."

"Dipper wants me to have pizza." Mabel corrected herself. "That's two votes out of three."

Stan rolled his eyes. Though he couldn't see or hear his nephew, he was sure Dipper said nothing of the sort. "Yeah, but this isn't a democracy and I say no pizza."

Mabel groaned and finally sat up. Her hair stuck in all different directions. "But I'm hungry!" She complained.

"We just ate."

"I'm still hungry."

Stan scowled. Finally, he reached out and grabbed a bag of chips he had in an unpacked grocery bag. He tossed it to Mabel.

"Here." He grunted.

Realizing she wouldn't win this battle, she grumbled about not liking the flavor before cracking the bag open and stuffing some chips into her mouth, chewing like a cow while crumbs fell into her bed.

"You're getting crumbs all over the bed." Dipper told her.

"So?" She replied.

"Huh?" Stan said.

"Dipper's complaining about crumbs in the bed."

Grunkle Stan snorted. "Your bed. Don't complain to me if roaches decide to crawl on you."

Mabel didn't reply, just continued to stuff the off-brand chips into her face.

Stan stretched out his back, a large crack filling the air. "Well, I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight Grunkle Stan." Mabel said, dropping the empty bag onto the ground and snuggling into a better position.

Grunkle Stan reached out and clicked off the light, settling into his own small nest on the ground. "Night Mabel." A slight beat. "Night Dipper."

Mabel hummed lightly in response for her brother.

Dipper listened closely as his Grunkle's breathing evened out and slowed down as he was eased into sleep.

He continued to float in the air, next to the gross and dirty window.

He couldn't sleep.

Literally.

Staring out the window, seeing nothing but darkness, loneliness and sorrow crept onto him, just as hard as it was the first night.

He heard Mabel's breath even slow down and settle. She'd fallen asleep.

He let out a quiet sigh. Twisting slightly around in the air, Dipper wished, not for the first time, he could sleep. Back when he was a human, (which wasn't even a week ago, now that he thought about it) he almost never slept, staying up all night to figure out and decide mysteries while making new conspiracies. He almost hated it when he had to sleep.

He couldn't help but bark out a small laugh. It was all so terribly ironic, wasn't it.

He shifted around in the air, feeling uncomfortable. For the past few days, he couldn't help but feel awkward in his own skin. Well, more awkward than usual. He felt...gross, in a way.

Under-dressed.

Twitching slightly, he lightly closed his eyes. He had an idea, though he wasn't so sure it would work. Sure, Bill could do things, but that was in the Mindscape and he wasn't in the Mindscape. Or maybe he was? It was all so terribly confusing. The questions that had answers before seemed so far away. He could recall them, barely, but the answers he got didn't match up with the questions he had now.

Forcing himself to relax, Dipper lightly focused on what he was wearing...why he was even uncomfortable in the first place.

The familiar, but claustrophobic weight from his head disappeared, along with the puffy-feeling vest and the too loose shirt. His legs, which was bare for the world to see, were covered up.

Shoulders tense, Dipper opened his eyes.

He glanced down at the neatly pressed black slacks that covered his legs. Equally nice, well polished shoes covered his feet and replaced the ratty tennis shoes he had worn before.

He glanced down at his cuffs, lightly playing with a small golden triangle cuff link while straightening them. Brushing down his suit jacket, he admired the smooth feeling that ran underneath his fingertips. Having no prime connection to the physical world, Dipper enjoyed actually being able to feel something for once, even if it was just his own clothing.

Making sure his tail-coat hung properly, he proceeded to make sure his bow-tie was not only straight, but tight as well. Reaching up, he gently touched the brim of his floating top hat, amusement dancing in his eyes.

He stretched out, suddenly feeling so much better.

Why he didn't do this days ago, he didn't know.

Leaning into the corner, Dipper turned from the window to the rest of the room. The only sound that penetrated the silence was the sound of many different types of bugs flying around in the air. He could clearly see every individual insect, not just their general shape.

Glancing down at his twin, Dipper made a couple of quick notes on her. She was splayed out over the bed, covers only over half her body. Light snores echoed from her nose and mouth while her eyes fluttered underneath her lids in REM sleep.

She was having a good dream. Like before, every time he was near a sleeping person, he could simply tell what sort of dream they were having. If it was a nightmare, sweet, embarrassing, or even just an array of different sensations or feelings. Telling the mood of a dream only took distance.

Floating a few inches closer to Mabel, he could clearly sense that her nighttime escape was peaceful. Soft, calm. Like the soft laps of the ocean on glittering sand. Smiling contently, Dipper pulled away.

Glancing at the only other person in the room, Dipper moved over to Stan. Like Mabel, he was spread out across the floor, his mass of blankets and bath towels twisted up around him. Mouth hung wide open, he grunted and snorted, nasal snores escaping his mouth.

Dipper shook his head. His Grunkle was definitely not a pretty sleeper. Well, a pretty anything, now that he thought of it...

Dipper shuddered. Nope. Nope. Not going to let his mind wander there, no not at all. Ugh.

Unlike Mabel's dream, Stan's was one of feelings and emotion. Like a breeze ruffling long grass in a meadow. Or flickering candle light on a dying wick.

Dipper pulled away and returned to his corner.

He sighed as he floated, bored. Nighttime was so slow and boring. Glancing at the window, he briefly weighed the option of going out. It's not like he'd bother anyone or anything.

Plus, he didn't want his thoughts to wander.

Making his decision, Dipper gave his family another glance before phasing out of the room and into the street.

Floating down from the second floor, he let himself hover over the sidewalk, straightening his legs.

Balance was difficult when he tried to mimic standing. He felt oddly top-heavy. Stumbling in midair a bit, he ended up relaxed once again, legs slightly curled up underneath him.

He made his way down the cracked sidewalk, ignoring the messy and loud bars that he passed. The street lights flickered, old and worn while the moon and stars stared downwards at him, silent judgment from above.

Getting bored of the nightly activities around him, he let himself levitate higher, faintly feeling the weight of bugs pass through him with disgust.

He settled neatly onto a flat gray building. Feeling a little lost and very confounded, he stared up at the sky.

Nights were the hardest. It was the only time he was left alone with his thoughts, a place he dreaded to wander.

Yet, despite his misgivings, despite his own warnings and struggles, his mind drifted away into darker thoughts.

Curling up into a fetal position, a crushing depression gripped him, choking him into pathetic submission.

The standard questions ripped through his mind, hot and heavy.

Why did this happen?

Why me?

Why, why, why?

He curled up tighter, self-loathing boiling in his chest.

Why did this have to happen? It was all his fault. The world going crazy...and now he's a demon.

Like Bill.

He knew it. Knew that was the reason he had felt under dressed. Why he felt such, such, glee when he saw an animal get hurt.

Or better yet, a human.

It was sickening in it's own twisted way, really. He could almost see the blood run through the bags of meat around him, feel their short life ticking away.

Tick, tock, tick, tock.

Oh, look. Now you're dead.

Laughter bubbles in the back of his throat at his morbid thoughts, causing alarm to shoot through him.

More tears welled in his eyes, golden as they always were now and always will be.

Gold like the sun.

Gold like Bill.

Dipper grounded his teeth together to choke back sobs. Though no one else could hear him doesn't mean that he wanted to hear himself.

He wanted to get out of this mess. Wanted to so badly.

On an instinctual and logical level, Dipper knew that what had happened to him was permanent.

Knew it was impossible to be human again.

But another part of him, a stronger and more despite part of him wanted out.

His inner child was kicking, screaming, and refusing. He's not going to stay like this, there must be a way out. That part of him, the young child that he was...is, echoed in his mind, a lost part of himself he refused to relinquish.

His normal logical thought process abandoned him as he slowly uncurled himself, lying down on his back to stare up at the thin and delicate networks of drops above him.

Emotion, stubbornness, and determination swirled under his skin and within his mind.

He'd find a way out of this. He always did. He just had to try. Research, look for answers, figure out the secret.

He was going to turn himself back human.

Or destroy himself trying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I finally have an actual plan for this story.  
> It's going to be in what I call an "Arc Format" meaning that there is no overarching plot, but several smaller slices-of-life plots (along with oneshots) that will all be interconnected.  
> This entire story will cover the first three years after the Transcendence and I currently have the entirety of the first year planned out.  
> The first year will have a total of 10 different Arcs along with a few various oneshots to connect everything together better.   
> Each arc will be a different length. Some might only last a chapter while others last 10 chapters.   
> Next chapter will be posted next Sunday, so that's the...16th I believe.  
> Anyways, thanks for reading!


	4. In A Bubble

"Hey Soos."

"Hey hambone. Pancakes?"

"Yup."

Soos frowned as he went to go get Mabel a plate of her favorite food. She had come in earlier, lips turned down in a small frown, worry evident on her face.

Coming back with a plate of warm pancakes complete with syrup and sprinkles, he proceeded to pour the girl a glass of chocolate milk.

Though she ate the food with the same gusto as usual, there was no passion or heart into it.

"What's up, dude? Why the long face?" Soos asked, wiping down the counter with a wet rag.

Mabel chewed on her pancakes a bit more. "I can't seem to find Dipper. He was gone when I woke up this morning." She said through her full mouth.

Soos glanced outside, expecting to see the tween even though he knew it was impossible. "Maybe he went out for a jog?" He posed it as a question.

Mabel snorted. "Why jog when you can fly?"

Soos gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it, dude. He wouldn't leave. Plus, he can't get hurt now sooo..." His voice trailed off.

"Yeah, I guess your right, Soos. Still, I'm going to go look for him." Gulping down her milk, she slapped some money down on the table. "See ya later, Soos! And thanks!"

Soos waved. "No problem, hambone. And nice mustache!"

Mabel ran out the door, determination practically leaking from her.

"Now, if I was an invisible dork, where would I be?" She wondered out loud to herself. Glancing down both either way, she turned left and walked down the street.

As one would expect, Gravity Falls barely changed from the recent events. Sure, some people were freaking out more than others. However, most people simply took the event like they did every other event; shrugged with a muttered "huh?" And went about their day. It was a blessing, really. Most shops were still open and running, cars still drove down the street. Blubs and Durland were still running around a running fire hydrant, shirtless. All in all, everything was mostly fine.

Phone lines were still down, but who used land-lines nowadays anyways? Well, besides Grunkle Stan, that is.

Giggling softly at her joke, she weaved down streets, half-way listening to the normal day-to-day drama while calling out Dipper's name.

"DIPPER! HEY DIPPER, WHERE ARE YOU YA DORK?"

She turned a few more corners, looking for the tell-tale sign of her floating brother.

Unknown to Mabel, perched up on top of a building, Dipper gazed down at his sister. He could hear her ridiculously loud yelling from here clearly. Mabel always had a good set of lungs...

He shrunk back slightly. He wanted to go back. Back to his family, back to his best friend. Back to the people who cared.

He looked down at his clothes. Playing with his triangular cuff link again, anxiousness boiling in the pit of his stomach. Well, not-stomach. He didn't have a body anymore, after all.

The thought made him sicker.

He had hoped that the falling of the moon and the rise of daylight would chase away the bitter feelings, but he still felt horrible. Raw, in a way. He had been crying quite a bit.

He bit his lip, unsure what to do. What would Mabel think when she saw the change? What would his loved ones think when she told them? The logical part of him rolled his eyes. Looks wouldn't change what they thought of him, after all.(They also couldn't actually see him...) But a stronger, powerful part of him screamed the opposite, worried him to no end how they would take the change.

That the change would make them change their mind about him.

Wrapped up in his thoughts, he hadn't seen Mabel glancing up briefly. Didn't see her recognizing him crouched on the tall roof.

He did hear her yelling, however.

"There you are! Bro-bro, what are you doing up there! I've been looking for you forever!"

Squeaking a bit, Dipper pulled back from the edge a bit. He didn't think Mabel noticed the wardrobe change. Hope she didn't, at any rate.

"Diiiipperrrrr." She whined. "What have you been doing all night?"

"Uh, nothing." He replied.

"Then get down here! The sun is out, I'm awake and let's go blow stuff up!" She cheered, thrusting her fists into the air.

"I don't know..."

"Oh, just come down ya nerd."

Sighing, knowing he couldn't fight against his sister, he gently levitated down, unable to meet his sister's eyes.

"...Dipper?" She questioned.

Dipper peered through his bangs, his black and gold eyes meeting her bright brown ones. She looked...a bit shocked, really. Not scared, though. That's a good sign.

Playing with his cuff link again, Dipper muttered, "just, felt uncomfortable. That's all."

Mabel scanned Dipper down with a crucial eye. He was wearing a sharp, black suit with a long flowing tailcoat that seemed to catch some invisible wind. There was defiantly a triangle motif, as the golden things were everywhere instead of normal buttons. His white shirt was crisp and neat, just like his nicely shined black dress shoes. A floating top-hat just brushed his hair, slightly tilted to the side. What finished off the look was a black bow-tie placed straight and tight. Perfect.

All in all, Dipper really cleaned up.

Mabel narrowed her eyes. Her twin was hiding behind his bangs, eyes downcast.

She smirked. "Lookin' good, Dipping-sauce. Looks like you can dress fashionably after all!" She joked.

Dipper's head snapped up. Mabel was looking at him with shiny bright eyes.

She didn't care.

Dipper smirked, straightening himself out. Of course she didn't. And he was stupid to worry about it in the first place.

It was just clothes, after all.

"So bro-bro, what do you want to do today? Grunkle Stan already left for the shack." Mabel asked.

Dipper leaned back in the air, kicking his feet up and folded his arms behind his head, relaxed. "I dunno. Not much to do anymore."

Mabel looked thoughtful, then brightened. "I think Wendy's looking for another job now. Let's go help her!"

"I don't think that's a good idea. How could we even help any-"

"Let's go! HELPING TIME!" Mabel cried out before breaking out into a spring down the street yelling the whole way.

Making a noise between a sigh and a laugh, Dipper turned and followed his excitable sister, his own excitement bubbling in him with the thought of seeing his friend.

~TCCBJVLRGVRCQUVNQWTWRHWNNP~

The two found Wendy milling outside a small shoe store. The red-head was staring at the ground, frustrated and a bit sad, scuffing the ground with a dirty boot.

"Heya Wendy! How's job hunting going?" Mabel greeted, bouncing up next the the teen. Dipper floated alongside, settling on the other side of Wendy.

Wendy cracked a small smile at the younger girl's optimism. "Not very well." She answered.

"Whaaat?" Mabel questioned. "But you're, like, totally awesome!"

Wendy gave a single shoulder shrug, tilting her head foreword to glare at the parked cars ahead. "Yeah, well tell that to the stick-in-the-mud in there." She jabbed a finger behind her at the shop.

"Well, I'm sure you'll find a new job! I mean, how hard can it be? You just have to stay positive and everything will turn out fine!" Mabel reassured, patting Wendy's shoulder as she did so.

Wendy's smile quirked up a bit more, Mabel's natural optimism warming her up some. "You always know what to say, don't you? Well, I guess you're right! And I guess it could be worse; I could be like Stan."

The twins laughed. Besides the shack, their Grunkle couldn't seem to hold down a job at all.

Dipper suspected it was because the shack was his Grunkle's own business and could get away with anything because of that.

"I have an idea!" Mabel said as soon as her laughter died down. "How about me and Dipper help you out? Between the three of us, we could surely get you a job!"

Wendy cocked an eyebrow. "Are you sure? It's kinda boring..."

"Pfft." Mabel snorted. "Better than just wandering the streets."

Dipper stared at the two. "Uh, Mabel? Unless you forgot, I'm invisible. Remember?"

Mabel glanced at her brother. "Oh yeah. Well, Wendy knows you're here. You can be support!"

"Support?"

"Emotional support!"

"Care to fill me in on what you and Dipper are talking about?" Wendy asked, a pang of sadness striking her heart. She would never get to see one of her best friends ever again. Never hear him either. The thought almost made her tear up again, but she held down her emotions. No good to cry now. Not in front of Dipper.

"Well, ya see Dipper doesn't think he can help ya, even though just being here can give support." Mabel said quickly.

Wendy nodded. "Um..." She trailed off, glancing around. A helpful point of Mabel's index finger revealed Dipper's current location.

Turning around, Wendy once again hoped she was looking at his face. "She's right, Dipper. Just because this happened doesn't mean that we're still not friends, right?"

Wendy glanced at Mabel, who nodded her head, in agreement. "He agrees with you." She said.

Wendy smiled. "Good, now let's go. I think there's some clothing stores a few blocks over."

With a cheer from Mabel, the threesome turned and made their way down the block, Wendy and Mabel walking side-by-side while Dipper floated above.

Mabel glanced up at Dipper every now and again, making sure her twin was still okay while still observing his clothes.

"Oh, yeah. Hey Dip, can I tell Wendy about your..." She did a sweeping gesture at his clothes.

Dipper looked down at the two. Mabel was staring at him curiously while Wendy looked down at Mabel in confusion.

He bit the inside of his cheek. In all honesty, he didn't really want other people to know. But on the other hand, there was a prideful feeling in his heart that wanted to flaunt his nice suit, let everyone know how nicely he cleaned up. The thought was foreign and felt very wrong, yet oddly right at the same time. The dissonance was strange.

In the end, his fear won over his pride. "Not now." He told Mabel with a small shake of his head.

"I'll tell ya later." Mabel Summarized to the red-head.

Shrugging in confusion, Wendy simply changed the conversation back to the topic at hand; getting a new job.

Dipper gave a small smile from above, grateful that Wendy respected his privacy.

"What about that taco place down the road?" Mabel asked.

"Ew. I'm trying to avoid fast-food. Though, if there's no other way..." Wendy shook her head.

"Have you tried the mall?"

"Yup. But all the stores I could work at in there know me and won't hire me."

Mabel pouted, her eyes narrowing in hard thought.

"Mabel, can you ask Wendy how long she has to get a job?" Dipper asked, feeling a bit weird once again.

"Hey Wendy, Dipper wants to know how long you got to look for a job."

Wendy frowned. "I don't really know, to be honest. My Dad simply told me to try and get a job again."

Dipper frowned. "If the entire world is going crazy with the supernatural coming out, then there wouldn't even be a place to send you, right?"

Mabel parroted what Dipper said.

Wendy shrugged once again. "At this point, I think he just wants me out of the house and to stop asking for money."

Mabel shook her head.

Over the next two hours, Wendy, Mabel, and an invisible Dipper went to a number of shops to try and get Wendy a new job. Unfortunately, most places already recognized her as being a lazy teenager who once helped steal a police car. It didn't take much for the teen to be turned down quickly.

"Sometimes, I really hate living in a small town." Wendy grumbled, sitting down on the side of the street.

"Hey, turn that frown upside down! We'll get you a job, don't worry about it!" Mabel said. "Dipper agrees too."

Wendy gave the older twin a morose grin. "Yeah. Hey, I'm hungry. Wanna go get some food?"

Mabel jumped up to her feet. "I CANNOT RESIST THE CALL OF PANCAKE-Y GOODNESS!" She yelled out.

Wendy let out a bark of a laugh, getting up to join the easily excited girl.

Dipper just rolled his eyes in amusement, his golden eyes bright.

"You're going to get fat eating pancakes all the time!" Dipper teased, poking Mabel in the stomach.

She let out a giggle, lightly patting her slightly chubby tummy. "Nah!" She refused, striking a sassy pose.

Grabbing Wendy's hand, Mabel pulled her along. "C'mon, Wendy, let's race Dipper!"

"Mabel!" Dipper groaned, floating along.

His twin merely laughed.

~TCCBJVLRGVRCQUVNQWTWRHWNNP~

_Miles Away From Gravity Falls..._

 

"Are the phone lines still down?" A panicked voice asked. He paced back in forth in the living room, CNN blaring from the T.V while his Iphone was gripped tightly in his hand, telling of another failed call.

His wife, bless her heart, seemed to be taking everything in much better than he was. However, her hair was still a frizzy mess on her head and she had gained more wrinkles around her baggy eyes over the pass few days. Unlike her husband, who couldn't seem to sit still for very long, she was perched on the edge of the couch, muscles taunt, staring at the T.V with wide, unblinking eyes. Her hands were clasped together tightly in prayer, something she very rarely did before. Until now, that is.

At his panic, she slowly turned her anxious eyes to him. "I-I think so." She stuttered.

Her husband growled. "Dammit, Stan. Who even  _has_ land-lines anymore?"

His wife simply stared at him, blinking owlishly. Meanwhile, the T.V showed what appeared to be centaur running down some street in Houston. More videos were played, more coming in everyday, at every news station. News reporters talked over the shown videos, about different places all over the world and what the next course of action would be. Conversations of world-leaders coming together and working out a solution was popular, however no one was sure when or where the meeting would take place.

All in all, it was pure and total chaos.

About a week of panic and worry.

He ran a hand through his hair. Dropping his useless phone on the table, he collapsed onto the couch next to his wife. He still twitched with nervous energy.

Too energetic to stay cooped up in the house.

Too scared to leave.

The couple wrapped their arms around each other, holding each other together so the other wouldn't fall apart.

"What are we going to do?" His wife whispered into his hair. Her lips trembled weakly, thin and chapped. She gripped her husband tighter, afraid that he'll just fade away. Though the feeling and thought was entirely irrational, she felt as if she'd lose him too if she just let go for a moment.

She both heard and felt her husband sigh. While her vision was filled with her husband's familiar, short hair, he was staring at the T.V, lost. Apparently the president would be meeting other world-leaders on Sunday to discuss what the next steps would be.

_Finally._ He thought.  _They need to get their shit together._

"We're going to do what we can." He petted his wife's head. "We're going to get the twins back."

The two were silent, listening intently to the news reporter who was, once again, listing a number of international problems that were going to. From terrorist attacks to suicides, the problems were ever growing.

It was a whisper. Full of desperation, agony. One that choked him, twisted and shattered his heart.

"What if we can't?"

He blinked slowly.

No.

No.

He refused to even  _think_  about that option. Refused to acknowledge it, think of it, consider it.

"We  _will_  bring them home." He hissed, tugging his wife even closer. "They-they aren't...aren't..." He squeezed his eyes shut, a permanent furrow of his brow taking place. He couldn't even get the words out.

His wife started another round of murmured prayers in his ear. Soft and desperate. They had never been a very religious family. Sure, once in a blue moon they ended up going to church, usually because of polite co-workers and friends dragging them all along. They always nodded, were always polite at the services, but never gave much thought to it.

Now he wished he had.

He grounded his teeth together. Waiting for his wife to finish, he muttered, "They're still alive. I know they are. Stan- Stan wouldn't let them get hurt."

He felt a few drops of tears stain the top of his head. "Bu-but how can we trust him? How can we trust Stan? He's- he's..." Her voice trailed off, unable to complete her thought.

"Stan does have his- his faults. But he promised to look after the kids. He wouldn't let them get hurt." He gently rubbed his wife's back in soothing circles. While she was a bit distrustful of his con-man uncle, he knew Stan's heart was in the right place when it came to family. And that reason alone made him trust the old man.

However, that trust didn't relieve his worry. Didn't sate his anxiousness or his dark imagination of what could've happened, what could  _be_ happening, to his kids. He didn't want his thoughts to trail into that black hole, didn't need them to.

But he couldn't help it. The human mind was a fickle thing, focusing on the worst of the worst while trying to keep afloat with optimism.

He had to keep holding on to his hope. For his wife. For his kids.

For himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's slow and choppy. This chapter did not want to write itself.  
> This story will be picking up soon, so if your a bit bored, don't worry. Feels are coming to slap you in the face.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Shock Factor

Mabel groaned as she once again, flicked another mosquito off her nose. Scratching the spot, she hoped that is hadn't bit her. She didn't need an ugly red splotch on her nose to ruin her cuteness, after all.

"Ugh, I though living out in a gross motel could be fun, like in the movies, but this is terrible!" She complained, rolling around on her bed.

Dipper cocked an eyebrow at her, floating easily and relaxed in the air. "What movies have you been seeing?"

Mabel didn't answer her brother's questioning gaze, content to continue rolling around. "I hope Waddles is doing okay." She added in as a second thought.

"I'm sure Soos is taking care of him perfectly fine." Dipper reassured her, turning his head to watch a fat fly bump against the window multiple times, listening to the large thunks it's body made. "Besides, we just went and visited him. I doubt half and hour is going to change anything."

"Oh, but on the contrary, Dipping-dot." Mabel started dramatically with a terribly fake English accent. "Many much things can happen in thirty minutes. An entire episode of  _Ducktective_ , for instance. Or even better,  _Why You Ackin' So Cray-Cray_?"

Dipper gave her a look. "I don't think 'many much' is proper grammar."

"Your face isn't proper grammar!"

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Your face doesn't make sense!"

Dipper let out a large groan, letting his hand run through his hair.

"Anyways." He started. "What do you want to do?"

Mabel shrugged. "We could count all the dead June bugs on the floor again."

Dipper wrinkled his nose. "Ew, no."

"Have any better ideas?"

Dipper grimaced. "Anything's better than counting dead things." Flipping himself to a standing position, Dipper phased through the wall. "Let's go outside." He said before the wall swallowed him up.

Mabel grinned. Shoving her shoes back onto her feet, she crunched over the bug-covered ground and flung open the door. Slamming it behind her, she ran down a flight of stairs and out the other door, meeting her classy brother outside.

"So, what plan do ya got, Dipping-dot?" She giggled. "Ha, I rhymed! Broadway, here I come!"

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Mabel, that's not- ugh, never mind."

She grinned, mirth sparkling in her eyes. "Well, if you got no ideas, how about we go...that way!" With that being said, Mabel turned and started down the sidewalk once again, Dipper on her heels.

A few minutes into their walk, Mabel was already complaining. "Ugh, this is sooo boring without any cute boys around." She glanced around suspiciously, as if a so called  _'cute boy_ ' would pop out any second.

Dipper rolled his eyes once again, but said nothing. At this point, he was used to his twin's obsession with the opposite gender.

"Hey, how about we go into the forest? Maybe I'll find a cute vampire looking for some love?" She said slyly, already turning around and heading to the nearest tree line.

Dipper bit his lip, unsure. He had always loved going into the forest, being surrounded by nature and mysteries. He'd felt...at home. Calm and peaceful. However, with him being intangible and without the journal to guide them, he wasn't so sure. Sure, a couple of magical creatures ran away from him, but those were gnomes and faeries, not anything all that dangerous.

"I don't know, Mabel. We don't have the journal anymore and without it, it's dangerous. Plus, I'm intangible. I wouldn't be able to help you if you got into trouble. Not only that, but we could get lost."

"I thought we already talked about this! We'll be fine. Nothing will get us out in the woods and you practically live in the forest!"

"Mabel..."

But Mabel didn't stop her pace or turn around.

"Uhh, why don't you go and hang out with Candy and Grenda?" Dipper asked, slightly desperate to get Mabel off her crazy idea.

Mabel paused briefly. "Great idea, Dipping-sauce! I'll invite them to go with me!" Turning around, she started off towards Grenda's house first.

"What? No, that's not what I- ugh." Knowing that his sister's mind wouldn't be changed, Dipper hung his head as he floated after her, defeated.

It didn't take too long to get to Grenda's. Nor did it take long for said girl to open the door and completely freak out.

"Mabel! You're okay!" The large girl cried out, grabbing the sweater-clad Mabel in a bear hug and spinning her around.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Grenda! I didn't mean to make you worry! It's just been a busy few days..."

Grenda placed Mabel back on the ground. "It's fine, Mabel. I've just been hanging around bored."

Dipper cocked an eyebrow and the nonchalance of the Grenda's statement. She was just like most the people it seemed; Apathetic and nonplussed at the new revelation of the supernatural.

"Well, since you're bored and I'm bored, how about we go get Candy and see if we can find any cute vampire boys in the forest?" Mabel have her friend a wide, braces filled grin.

Grenda's face fell some. "Candy's trapped in her house. Parents won't let her leave."

Mabel's grin slid right off. "But we can't go find some cute boys without her."

"Unless we sneak her out..." Grenda added in slyly, a large smirk decorating her features.

"Unless we sneak her out." Mabel echoed, a matching grin finding it's way back to her lips.

"Mabel, that's a really bad idea!" Dipper scolded her. In all honesty, he was bored and annoyed with their girl talk, however there wasn't anything he could do about it. It wasn't her fault only she could see him.

Besides, someone had to be the voice of reason for her.

Mabel rolled her eyes at him but said nothing.

"Let's go break Candy out!" Grenda shouted, thrusting both fists into the air. With a warrior's cry, she charged down the sidewalk.

With a yell of her own, Mabel followed, leaving Dipper floating alone.

Letting out a hiss of annoyance, he followed the two halfheartedly.

It didn't take long to reach Candy's house. Dipper found both girls crouching in a bush across the road from what he assumed to be Candy's house, both smearing mud across one another's cheeks for camouflage.

It wasn't helping.

Dipper simply relaxed, kicking one ankle over the other. A slight, amused smirk played on his lips.

_Lets see where this goes._  He though to himself.

After checking one another, both girls checked both ways before rolling through the street, Mabel humming what sounded like the mission impossible theme song badly and loudly.

Once across the street, the girls carefully crept up the lawn. Their feet crunched in the grass. Still humming, Mabel grabbed the larger girl's arm to drag her into some more bushes under a window with some glittery green curtains covered in cheesy stickers- Mabel's work.

Dipper drifted closer to the two, wanting to get a closer look at what they were going to do next.

Mabel still hummed while Grenda knocked deafeningly on the window. "Candy! Are you in there?"

The window shook with the force of the punches, but held.

The two girls, crouched obviously in the bushes, waited.

A faint sound spilled through the cracks of the window. A few seconds later, a pale face with glasses appeared, pushing the curtains to the side. Upon seeing her friends crouched down waiting for her, Candy's eyes sparkled. Reaching down, she cracked the window open

"Girls! What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Busting you outta here, sister." Grenda grunted.

Candy gave them a wide grin. Grabbing the window, she inched it up a bit more till she could fit her small body through.

"Hold on one moment." Candy chimed, grabbing her shoes and putting them on.

Carefully, the petite girl rolled out the window and into the shrubbery below.

Reaching up, Grenda easily closed the window with a bang.

The trio gave each other shining grins and large hugs, happy they were together again.

Climbing to their feet, the girls crossed the street once again and turned a corner, excited of successfully sneaking someone out.

Dipper followed lazily, feeling more than a bit am aided and slight disbelief. Either Candy's parents were not at home or possibly deaf. How anyone could not hear Mabel and Grenda was a mystery to him.

The girls chatted animatedly with one another, about forests and cute boys. However, light talk easily flowed into the heavier topics and pretty soon the three were discussing recent events.

Candy was trapped with parents who weren't quite as easy-going as most residents of Gravity Falls.

Grenda and her grandparents were completely fine with the uncovering of the supernatural. Weirder things have happened before, after all.

And then, the wheel of conversation and explanation turned to Mabel.

Mabel huffed out softly as she briefly and with little detail as possible brushed upon what had happened.

Of course, her BFF's were clueless that she was even in the epicenter of what happened and the questions were unsurprising.

Mabel answered to the best of her abilities. She hadn't actually had to explain orally what had happened yet; everyone she's been talking to had been there and no explanation was needed.

Mabel, understandably, skipped the more gruesome and tragic events, sugar-coating and watering the story down as much as possible.

Eyes wider than what Dipper had thought possible, Grenda and Candy were oblivious to Mabel's sugar-coating and drank the story in, gasps of surprise and comforting hugs interjecting at proper times.

As Mabel's story started winding down, the older twin started giving her invisible brother more and more glances, another silent question of if she could tell Grenda and Candy the truth.

Dipper felt a smile stretch his lips, touched that his twin took his opinion into account on such a matter.

"Go ahead and tell them. They're your best friends. Of course they should know." Dipper said.

Mabel openly beamed at him.

Wrapping up the final events in a kid-safe way, Mabel started the cautious story of what happened to her twin.

"Soooo...Candy, Grenda. Ya know my brother, Dipper, right?"

"Yeah? What about him?" Grenda asked.

"Well, you see, something happened to him during this...uh, thing."

"He's dead?!" Candy cried out.

"No! No. Well, not exactly." Mabel explained. "You see, during the fight with the demon I told you about, Dipper kinda ended up- absorbing? Yeah, absorbing some of his powers. So now he's a demon too and completely invisible to everyone but me."

Grenda and Candy were shocked to say the least.

"Is-is he here right now?" Grenda asked.

Mabel gave a small nod and indicated with her index finger where Dipper was currently floating.

Grenda and Candy stared hard at the spot like if they focused hard enough, the dorky brother of Mabel would appear.

Obviously, that was quite impossible.

"So, do you want to join us, bro-bro?" Mabel asked after a beat of silence.

Dipper looked between the three girls. In all honesty, he really didn't. Hanging around Mabel and her friends was boring and just a little bit annoying. However, he didn't want Mabel to go into some monster-infested woods without him.

He gave her a tight look. "Sure. Not like I can do anything else."

Mabel gave him an apologetic look paired with a smile before turning back to her friends and picking conversation, which was slightly more tense than before.

Dipper trailed after the girls as they went to find some supernatural boyfriends. Their talk had descended into whether what type of supernatural creature could be the most romantic. He couldn't help but groan at the conversation.

Bright sunlight filtered through the green leaves as the four-some waddled their way through, stumbling and tripping over roots and rocks as they went. A few complaints about dirt and bugs drifted from Grenda and Candy, but not enough to spark annoyance.

They trekked for a good couple of hours, not finding hide nor hair of any supernatural creature.

Considering the incident with the gnomes and faeries, Dipper couldn't say he was surprised. He couldn't say he knew a lot about demons, but he knew that they were considered dangerous by even the most powerful of beasts.

Making a mental note to get Mabel to get some books about demons for him, Dipper let his eyes roam across the familiar forest, taking in the greenery. Without all the monsters, the woods really was a peaceful place.

"Ugh, my feet hurt and I'm getting bored. We're not finding any cute boys! Just a bunch of trees!" Grenda complained.

"We can't give up! Just imagine the kisses a vampire could give." Candy said, eyes wide with her fantasy.

"Nu-uh. Werewolves are sooo much hotter." Grenda said.

"Girls, girls, how about we go get lunch and come back later?" Mabel interjected before the two could start arguing.

Grenda's stomach rumbled in agreement.

Reaching an understanding with each other, the girls turned around and started making their way back to civilization, already daydreaming of the food they would soon eat.

~TCCBJVLRGVRCQUVNQWTWRHWNNP~

Stan watched over the worker's hawkishly. He had used up all his money in his hidden stash just to restore the place, which led him into slight worry. It was well known he couldn't hold down a job besides his own business and the fact that the reconstruction would take a little over a month at least did little to relieve his worry. Little money was left to take care of Mabel and even when the shack would be fixed up, there was still the matter of replacing the furniture and needed appliances.

Stan groaned and rubbed his forehead, feeling a migraine coming on. He really didn't need to deal with this. He also couldn't help but feel like he was forgetting something very, very important.

Shaking away his thoughts, Stan sat on the hood of his luckily saved El Diablo and watched the workers do their thing. Lightly running the palm of his wrinkled hand over the red paint, Stan briefly toyed with the idea of just living in his care to save money before promptly dismissing the idea. He couldn't make Mabel live in a car.

The Stan watched silently as the men worked. Cleaning up all the ruined wood was taking as long as one would expect as well as tearing out scorched foundation. Stan smirked a bit, grateful that no one in the town ever asked questions.

Stan leaned back a bit more, listening to the roars of the machines in front of him, drowning out all the sounds of the forest around.

Along with the purr of a creamy SUV.

Stan didn't notice the car until a familiar couple darted across the corner of his eye. Snapping his head to the side, Stan's mouth fell open in complete shock at the sight of the twins' parents walking across the lawn to meet him.

Stan stared at them, disbelief evident.

He remembered what he was forgetting to do; call Mark and Anna Pines.

"Mark! Anna! Wasn't expecting you to come all the way here!" He said with false cheer, pushing himself off his car.

The twins' parents glanced between him and the construction, eyes fully worried. Both of them didn't look all thy well. The normally neat and shiny brown hair both parents had was limp and dirty. Lines were collected by bag heavy and purple eyes. Mark was completely pale and twiddled with his thumbs endlessly while switching his weight between his feet, unable to be still. His wife was a stark opposite; her back was straight as a pole, fists clenched tightly in front of her, chewing lightly on her already chapped lips.

Both of them looked like death.

"St-Stan. What the fuck is going on here?" Mark hissed quietly.

Stan blinked in surprise. Mark never swore.

"They say this is where- and your home is destroyed and- and where are my kids?!" Mark continued on, glaring harshly at the older man.

Stan felt his spine stiffen as a chill swept past him. What could he tell the distraught pair? How could he start to explain what happened and Dipper's...condition?

"Mabel an- and Dipper are fine." He replied stiffly. "They're in town."

"All alone?" Anna whispered, wide-eyed.

"No! They were in the motel, last time I checked. Gravity Falls is a small town, they'll be fine." He tried reassuring them. Comfort as never been a strong suit for him.

"Fine? Fine? How could they be fine with all the- and everyone here is acting calm and- and..." Tears welled up in Anna's eyes. Seeing his wife so distraught, Mark wrapped an arm around her shoulders in support, trying to stop her from breaking.

"Like I said the town is safe. They have each other and are probably with their friends right now. Besides, all sorts of weird stuff happens here. It's completely normal."

"What do you mean weird things happen here? Have my kids been in danger this entire time?" Anna sobbed, her shoulders shaking.

"What? No, no that's not what I mea-"

"Stan. Take us to our kids. Now." Mark commanded, eyes burning.

Stan never took direct orders. He was a man for and by himself. Self serving and self listening. However, the raw rage and desperation made Stan hop into his car, couple behind him, and drive straight into town.

He could feel the parents' glare on his neck as he drove, both sitting in the back so they could comfort one another. Cold sweat traced down his neck. He really didn't want to go to the motel first. He doubted Mark and Anna would appreciate the insect-infested room.

Keeping his eyes peeled on either side, he watched the streets for a sweater-clad girl, hoping to see the rosy cheeks and bright smile.

Carefully weaving down streets, he took the long way to the motel, giving half-truths and answers for the parents' questions of why it was taking so long.

_C'mon, Mabel_. Stan thought to himself.  _I know your around here som-_

"Mabel!"

Stan's thoughts were jolted at the cry that came from the back. Slamming his foot on the break, Stan turned to watch Mabel and her two friends emerge from the forest, smiling and chatting.

Before he could even park the car or get a single thought out, the door to his El Diablo was thrown open and both parents flung themselves out.

"Mabel!" Anna screamed again, tackling the girl with a bone crushing hug. "Oh my God. Thank you. Thank you. You're safe. Oh my God you're safe."

"Mom?" Mabel whispered. "You're...here?"

Another pair of arms wrapped around both her and her mother. Mabel could feel her father's face lightly rub against the top of her head, stubble poking at the top of her head.

Right next to them, slightly above the group, invisible to all but one, was Dipper. He levitated, quiet and torn. Seeing his parents completely ignore him drove a stake through his heart, though he knew it wasn't their fault. Unable to touch or say anything, Dipper remained frozen, a constellation of tears collecting on his lashes.

His parents held onto Mabel for a long time before silently pulling away. Mabel watched with wide eyes as both her parents wiped tears from their eyes.

Both, including her dad who never cried.

Hearing her friends telling her that they'd see her later, Mabel turned and focused on her parents, stomach rolling with too many emotions to even name.

"Mabel...honey, where's Dipper?" Her mother asked, hope desperate in her eyes as she worked her bottom lip with slightly yellow teeth.

Mabel bit the inside of her cheek, stomach twisting while her heart froze. How was she going to- how...?

"Mabel." Her father's voice shook. "Where is your brother?"

Not looking at either of them, Mabel slowly pointed upward where Dipper was floating, small golden tears bubbling in his black eyes. He was torn, face screwed up in sorrow at his parent's frantic question.

Very slowly, both parents turned their heads to where Dipper was floating. Briefly, both twins felt hope burn in their hearts. Maybe their parents would be able to see him too, able to touch and comfort him.

Their hopes fell at the stricken look on their parents faces. It took Dipper a few seconds to process the reaction before he realized that it looked like Mabel was pointing to the sky.

His parents couldn't see him.

They thought he was dead.

"He's not dead!" Mabel cried out quickly at the emotion that crossed her parent's faces. "He's still here, but only I can see him!" Tears welled in her eyes. "Only I can see him." She repeated, voice softer than before.

Seeing and feeling his sister's distress, Dipper floated downward, giving her a tight hug from behind. Mabel could feel his tears drip onto the back of her neck. She reached up to wrap her hands around his wrists automatically.

She stared up at her parents who simply stared down at her with broken eyes.

They didn't believe her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next few chapters will be a bit shorter, I'm afraid.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!


	6. Not Even A Touch

Mabel kicked her feet, glaring at the carpeting in the car. Buckled in tightly, she chewed on the inside of her cheek, tears welling up in her eyes at the yelling outside.

Grunkle Stan, her mom, and her dad were currently at a standoff in front of the SUV. Stan had his hands out in front of him in protest, arguing the best he could. Even from inside the car, Mabel could see the red tips of his ears and the sweat beading on his face.

Her parents were screaming back, her father red-faced, wagging his finger, spittle flying off his lips. Her mother was right at his side, hissing vehemently with just as much fever and rage.

Mabel squeezed Dipper's hand, he was floating just over the seat to the left of her, staring forward just like her in distress and sickness.

Despite the metal walls around them, the twins could clearly hear what was being said outside, tearing at their hearts and minds.

"You're beer going to see her again!"

"No, no you don't understand! Just listen for a-"

"No! No! It's your fault! You've been lying to us this entire summer! All this time...all this fucking time..."

Dipper squeezed Mabel's Han back as each twin gave the other a fearful look. They've never heard their mother curse before. Never.

"You'll never see Mabel again, you here me? Never!"

The twin's mother broke down into sobs.

"Never, never..."

"Please, listen. Mabel's right Dipper's not-"

"Don't you dare say he's not gone. Don't you fucking dare. You've done enough." Their father hissed. He almost never cursed too.

Mabel narrowed her eyes. She couldn't sit through this anymore. Jabbing her finger against the button, she swung open the door to the SUV and stepped out, running to the front of the car.

"Stop!" The twelve-year-old gasped. "Please, stop it!" Her eyes welled with tears as she stared at the red-faced adults. Both her parents were breathing heavily while sweat beaded on Stan's face.

"Mabel, honey, get back in the car." Her mother asked, voice strained and forceful.

"No!" She refused, widening her stance a bit and crossing her arms.

"Mabel, listen to your mother." Her father commanded, his hands tightened into fists at his side.

"Please, listen to Grunkle Stan. Listen to me! You don't have the whole story, you don't understand!"

"Car. Mabel. Now." Her father replied at the same time her mother wailed, "there's nothing too understand! Dipper, my little boy, is dead!"

Dipper, who had been floating alongside Mabel, felt his heart break for the nth time that day. Tears welled up in his eyes again. He'd never seen his parents so out of control, so overcome with grief. Even when their grandparents died, their parents weren't this overcome. His emotions swirled underneath him, a dissonance of morose and rage.

How could they dismiss him so easily?

How could they believe that their own daughter, his sister, was lying? Mabel, who didn't have a bad bone in her body?

Rage settled around his distraught heart, thick and bubbling. His thoughts twisted into tangled knots, incomplete and illogical. His brain was at a floundering halt, unable to process what was going on.

He was so upset.

He was so angry.

Boiling gold tears slipped out of his eyes, floating around him once again.

And, like before, color started draining out of the world around him.

Mabel watched around in awe as color literally melted out of reality around them, paint-like and thick. The sky above darkened with gray clouds, thick and oppressing.

"Dipper!" Mabel called out, feeling the light wind die down, replaced by static and sticky air.

Not paying attention at the adults before her, Mabel turned and grabbed her twin by his wrist, pulling the torn boy into a tight an comforting hug. She rubbed his back while he buried his face into her neck.

"It's okay." She whispered into his ear. "We'll get them to listen, to understand. It's okay."

She watched between her eyelashes as the golden tears floating around them disappeared. Dipper relaxed into her hold, hugging her back just as tight.

"You- you're right. You're right. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She smiled into him. "You have nothing to apologize for."

The adults behind her said nothing.

Stan was stiff, back ramrod straight as he watched the scene before him. He didn't know what exactly what was going on, he could only hear half the conversation after all. But Stan was anything but stupid and it didn't take long to put two and two together. After all, even with all the weirdness that happened at Gravity Falls, he'd never seen color literally melt out of reality around them. That was Dipper's doing.

And he had no clue how that was possible.

He glanced at Mark and Anna, a pang going through his cold heart as he say the look of disbelief and fear on their faces.

"What- what was t-that?" Mark questioned, eyes blown wide. Anna was holding on tight to him, face devoid of color, staring at where Mabel was hugging the empty space that was Dipper in a torn look of horror and relief.

Stan squeezed his lips into a thin line.

Mark's question went unanswered.

Finally, a few tentative heartbeats later, Mabel pulled away from where Dipper was, reaching up and waving her hands as if she was wiping something away. The sweater-clad girl climbed to her feet, right hand gripping a hand no one else could see.

"He's here. He's right here. How could you think I'm lying?  _How?_ "

Her parents had a million and one things to say, to question, to scream out loud. However, they were frozen. They had so much to say, but no ability to say it.

"Mabel." Her mother finally croaked out. "Please get in the car. W-we'll discuss this when we're back home."  _Is that okay?_ Went unsaid.

Mabel's shoulders fell, her eyes finding the ground. Her own tears welled in her eyes and before anyone could say anything else, threw herself at Stan, arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

"I don't wanna go." She sniffed quietly, both hoping and dreading her parents hearing her heartfelt confession. "I want to stay here with you. With Wendy and Soos and Candy and Grenda and Lazy Susan and  _everyone!_

Stan stood there, feeling awkward and unsure. What was one supposed to do when confronted with a sobbing tween girl?

He lightly patted her back. "I know, sweetie. I know." He muttered, trying to make his voice softer and gentler. "But you need to go back with your parents now. The want-  _need_ you home." Stan looked up at Mark and Anna, the former giving him a frazzled, hostile look.

Stan glared back with thinly veiled rage.

Mabel nodded against him. "I know." Pulling away slowly, the girl stared at him with bubbling eyes as she retreated back to the SUV, once again gripping the thin air that had to be Dipper's hand.

Strapping herself back into her seat, Mabel watched as her parents said something else to Stan, too quiet for her to hear.

Stan looked heartbroken.

Mabel turned to look at Dipper. At the expression on his face, she knew he could hear the group. She didn't even need to ask.

"They told him he'll never see us, I mean you, again."

Mabel's tears broke over her lids, painting her cheeks. Dipper wrapped his arms around her just as she had been doing moments before. The gesture was soothing, though didn't stop her sorrow from eating her up.

She doubted her parents would allow her to go back to Gravity Falls after this.

Mark and Anna said nothing as they slid into their seats. Turning the key, Mark started up the car and drove away.

She didn't even get the chance to say goodbye.

Mabel returned the hug her brother was giving her. With no way for him to actually stay in the car and unsure if he could even fly as fast as the moving vehicle, all Dipper could do was grab a hold of Mabel for dear life and hope he never accidentally let go.

The car ride was silent. There was a tenseness in the air, thick and pressuring. Dipper fixed his grip around Mabel. Even though he didn't really exist (the idea still sickened him) he could still feel the oppression of all the words left unsaid.

He looked over Mabel's head at the world flying by outside. Currently, they were on some beaten dirt road in the middle of nowhere trying to get back to where the highway was. The GPS was giving its computerized instructions every once in a while, making him jump in surprise every time.

Mabel just held on to him tighter.

Like her brother, the female half of the duo was looking out the window as well, mind blank from the events that transpired. It was only this morning she was complaining about being bored and now she was in her way back home, sun starting to set in the distance. Nature rushed by her on all sides, reminding her of the woods around the shack and all the adventures Dipper dragged her into. All the mysteries, all the adventure gone. She was going back to boring and bland California.

No more adventures.

No more Wendy.

No more Grenda or Candy.

No more mysteries.

No more anything.

She held onto her brother, grateful for his calming presence. If there was one constant in her life, it was Dipper. He was always there for her when she needed him, and vice versa.

Mabel's eyes started to flutter close, the emotional turmoil of the day so far having worn her out. Groggy, she nuzzled into her brother, who was watching the outside world over her shoulder with a resigned look.

Evening out her breathing, her tight hold didn't relax in the slightest as she drifted into a dark sleep.

Dipper knew exactly when Mabel crossed into sleep. He could feel her light sleep, currently dreamless and senseless. Feeling his body being yanked along still, Dipper noted that Mabel's strong grasp on him didn't let up.

Relaxing against her slightly, he sat through her sleep cycle, feeling it tick away in a somehow familiar pattern.

He was waiting for her dreams.

Ahead of the twins in the front seats, their parents continued to sit in strict silence, giving one another nervous, panicked glances every once in awhile.

What were they to do? What was even going on? What had happened in the first place. So many questions they needed to ask and so many answers they were afraid hearing. So both sat in silence, telling themselves everything would sort itself out when they got back him to California.

Anna turned slightly to look back at Mabel. Her body was in an awkward position, as if she were holding onto someone of similar size very tightly. The mother could clearly see the whiteness of her daughter's knuckles. Mouth opened slightly, Anna knew her daughter had fallen into a deep sleep.

She moved her eyes from the sweater-clad girl to rove over the empty space she was gripping for dear life.

_He's not dead!_

Only I can see him!

Mabel's words to her rang in her ears. Trepidation creeping into her veins, Anna very carefully twisted her body around even more to face her daughter. Feeling a strange coldness close around her, Anna stretched out her arm to touch the empty space before her, her throat tightening the closer her fingers got.

Hyper aware of Mark's nervous gaze on her, Anna was mere inches away from brushing the space with the pads of his fingers before her husbands hand gently clasped her forearm, pulling her back with a small shake of his head.

Anna stared at her husband with wide eyes, torn between her own terror and uncertainty along with a morbid need to  _know._

Lightly removing her husbands hand from her arm, Anna turned back around and reached out again. This time, Mark made no move to stop her.

Her fingers swished straight through the air of where Mabel was gripping.

Anna felt nothing.

No temperature difference.

No pressure difference.

She felt absolutely nothing in the space where Dipper supposedly was.

Gasping in a shuddering breath, Anna turned back around to stare at the darkening sky before her, letting thoughts drain out of her mind. She really didn't want to think right now.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the mother, Dipper was staring at his mother with distress in his eyes.

He hadn't felt his mother's fingers either.

Not really, in any case. He was aware of them being inside his chest, a strange not-feeling that was phantom at most.

His heart clenched once again, remembering all the times his mother would brush her dainty fingers through his hair, smiling and complementing how soft it was. The way she would wrap him in a comforting hug when he was feeling down, usually because of the bullies at school or his own lowered self esteem. She always knew the right things to say to him, her words and comfort like soft bells in his ear, warm and gentle. He remembered the way she would beam at him when he brought home an A on a test or got a near perfect score on his report card. She had always been proud and would take them all out to a special dinner, letting him pick the restaurant they went to.

Those mementos were of so long ago. Before all the mysteries and adventures and monsters. Before Gravity Falls. Before he'd even knew of his Grunkle Stan's existence.

Back when things were so much simpler.

But now here he was, intangible and invisible, his parents doubtful of his existence.

Everything was different now.

His arms tightened around his sister, not wanting to let go and get lost.

He didn't know how much time passed. Lately, his sense of time had been worst than ever before. Only the differences of day and night told him the passage of time.

He was both fearful and amazed by this fact.

He was ripped out of his thoughts by the body pressed close to him. Mabel shifted against him, her small mouth hanging open releasing light snores.

She was dreaming.

He could feel the dream in her mind- just emotion and senses for now weaving through her mind, gentle and delicate almost like spider webs.

It didn't take long for Mabel's dream to form into something more solid than simply feelings. Though Dipper couldn't be 'exactly' sure what she was dreaming about- he wasn't inside her mind after all, he could sense it's bright and excitable form as it progresses.

He was distracted from feeling Mabel's dream by the whispering that had taken a hold of the front seats. Dipper could tell that their parents had been waiting for Mabel to fall asleep and were trying their best to whisper as quiet as possible.

Unfortunately for both parties, Dipper could hear them fine.

"You don't think Dipper is a- what? A ghost, do you?" His father hissed gently to his mother.

The woman gave a small, nervous hum in response. "I- I don't know. With all the- the  _craziness_ going on in the world with manticores and dragons and- and mythological creatures in general- it's not that much of a stretch, right?" Her bottom lip trembled as a few stray teas leaked from her eyes. "Right?"

Dipper felt a frog climb into his throat. His mother sounded so- so  _hopeful._

His father was quiet, contemplating what she had said. "I don't know." He murmured. "Everything's been turned on its head. I don't know anything anymore."

His mother sighed.

The automatic GPS chimed a "turn right."

His father turned onto a cobble road.

"I know. It's so hard but we have to get through this. I- I have to believe that he's still here somehow. That he still- still  _exists_  somehow. I don't think I can accept the other option. I  _won't_ except the other option." His mother replied.

His father didn't respond.

Dipper stared at his parents, unable to get a clear look if either of their faces. Both had dirty and wild hair with tense shoulders and reddish, saggy skin. His parents looked years older than what they had last time he had seen them.

Dipper swallowed thickly.

"I'm sorry." He said, careful not to wake his twin up. "I'm so so so sorry I wish I could take this back, I wish this never happened. I didn't want this to happen. I'm so sorry."

As he expected, his parents didn't acknowledge what he said. They couldn't hear him after all. However, even though they couldn't sense him in any way, shape, or form, simply saying the words, physically opening his mouth and speaking what he had to say took a few tons off his shoulders. It made him feel a bit lighter, a bit more hopeful.

After his Parent's small talk fell into silence, Dipper decided to let his mind wander to a possible cure. He wasn't going to stay like this, not if he could do anything about it, that is.

_But is there anything to do?_ A voice in his mind whispered, doubt, longing and finality all wrapped up into one hopeless and dark voice.

"Yes." He muttered out loud. "It has to be."

His dark thoughts fell quiet, lost. Moving his mind to more pressing matters, Dipper brainstormed ways to get back to normal.

He didn't get far.

He didn't know much about spells or demons in general besides the basics (and maybe a  _bit_  more). A human becoming a- a-  _yeah_. He would imagine that getting his humani- his  _human-status_  back would be difficult and advanced magic.

However, how was he to do this? He couldn't pick up a book, couldn't draw runes or sigils if he needed too. How would he turn back if he couldn't interact with the physical world.

Another paralyzing thought struck him; The conservation of mass and energy. His physical body didn't exist and on top of that, what exactly  _was_  magic? An energy of sorts, he would think, but it's interaction, it's-

Dipper held his head, a migraine sparking into existence.

Half his thoughts swirled around the notion of turning back, emotionally charged and ready.

The other half of his mind, the half that he normally followed filled with facts, equations, and useless trivia, told him something much, 'much' darker and something he knew both logically and instinctively was true;

He was stuck like this.

There was no changing back.

It was impossible.

And Dipper knew this to be true, be pure and apathetic fact.

Leaning his head on top of Mabel's, Dipper took in a shuddering breath, barely holding himself together. The thoughts, the truth he didn't was to accept, 'wouldn't' accept, was pulsating in his head, vile and cruel.

Like a demon.

The analogy brought a twisted smile out if him along with a dark chuckle. The entire situation was horrifyingly ironic.

His too-wide grin died at the sudden bought of depression that clenched him, he buried his nose in Mabel's hair, smelling her familiar scent.

He watched the world go by through the window on the other side, peering between his eyelashes. It was dark now and they had seemed to have gotten on the highway sometime ago, cars lingering around in traffic, by only recognizable by the too-bright headlights they had.

Dipper let out another sigh, closing his eyes and let the unstoppable worries and fears of the future take hold of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the last in...Arc 0? The prologue? I don't know what you'd call it.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!


	7. Raw Feelings

Mabel cracked open her eyes, feeling the crust that had collected during the night flake and fall off. Her stomach was rolling with hunger and her mouth was parched. Twisting around in her bed, Mabel felt her disgusting mass of hair tangle around her even more, filled with sweat from the heat in her room along with the tears she had cried into it last night and the snot that had dripped out of her nose.

Taking her hand out from the thick comforter she was under, Mabel rubbed her eyes, picking out the rest of the crust that coated her eyes.

Rubbing her nose next, Mabel wiped some stray snot away from her nose, rubbing the hand off on her sheets afterwords. Blinking slowly, she cracked her neck and swung her feet out from her bed, letting them touch the shaggy carpet.

Mabel let out a face-consuming yawn, feeling every single muscle stretch out from the force.

Rolling her shoulders, Mabel padded to her door and cracked it open, glancing down the dark hallway.

Seeing no one milling about so far, Mabel shut her door quietly before meandering down to the bathroom, briefly pausing to glance at Dipper's bedroom door before shuffling into the bathroom in the need to go to the bathroom and get clean.

After emptying her bladder and scrubbing herself down, Mabel wrapped a towel around herself and grabbed her brush, wrestling with the left-over tangles. Her mind was in a tizzy, blank yet full of all the events that had just took place.

So she didn't focus on it.

Instead, she just grabbed her hairdryer and dried her hair, ignoring the heat that started burning her scalp some.

Finishing up somewhat quickly, Mabel walked back down the hallway, glancing at Dipper's door once again.

Slipping back into her room, Mabel grabbed one of the very few sweaters that didn't have anything on it, just a nice a blank light blue one made of the softest yarn she had.

Pulling on a clean purple skirt she had, Mabel briefly checked herself in the mirror, making sure she was presentable before leaving her room for the day.

The girl paused in the hallway, stomach snarling like a monster. Glancing at the light bleeding in from downstairs, Mabel turned and ventured deeper into the dark hallway, standing in front of a very important door she had already passed twice.

A soft knocked echoed from her clenched fist. "Hey, Dip-dop. You there? I'm coming in." Taking a breath, the young girl turned the knob and stepped into her brother's room.

It was dark, to say the least. The lights weren't turned on and the blinds were still tight against the windows, only letting in a trickle of morning light that did little to break up the darkness.

Not even looking to see where the switch was, Mabel flicked the lights on, bathing the room in harsh yellow.

As she expected, the room didn't change whatsoever since the beginning of summer when they left. Well, that wasn't 'entirely' true. The dirty laundry left 'had' been taken up, washed, and hung up considering the lack of the clothes that usually littered The floor.

However, his bookcases were still crammed to the breaking point with all sorts of books. From fantasy to sci-fi to text books to nonfiction, there wasn't a single genre left out.

His desk was still there too, along with a small whiteboard she remembered Dipper asking for for his birthday a few years ago. The board was covered in both old math equations and doodles she had drawn on it to annoy him. Meanwhile, the desk was crammed with papers and small models, wood stained with ink and a large box to the side filled with broken pens. The sight brought a slight smile to her lips.

The only other pieces of furniture in her brother's room was a simple end table with a lamp, alarm clock neatly set and blaring a bright 8:47 am along with his dresser which had partially built models of alien spaceships and monsters from old movies.

Mabel's eyes snapped to her brother's twin bed, where Dipper himself was currently floating, legs crosses, staring at the opposite wall with a blank, almost hopeless expression.

Seeing her brother so...'lost' made her heart break a little, but she didn't let it show. Letting a wide grin take place across her face, Mabel said, with great cheer, "morning bro-bro!"

Her joyous greeting shook Dipper out of his own mind. Blinking rapidly, the boy turned around, meeting Mabel's eyes with a pair of new gold ones. A broken look was across his features briefly before being wiped away by relief and a warm smile.

"Hey Mabel. Already ready for the day?"

She laughed. "Of course! The early bird gets the worm!" She replied. Striding over, she collapsed next to her brother on the bed with a dramatic sigh, nearly pushing him off.

"Hey!" Dipper shouted in protest.

Mabel laughed. "Sooo...what are our plans today?"

Dipper have the girl a questioning look. "Plans?"

Mabel rolled over and sat up, leaning against the headboard. The comforter under her, which should've been messed up from sleep and warm was tucked in perfectly and cold.

Mabel didn't think about it.

"What, you thought we'd be staying in the house all day? Pfft, as if!"

Dipper blinked at her before cracking a small, shark-toothed grin at her. "Of course not! I was testing you." The boy-turned-demon joked.

"Sure you were." Mabel said suspiciously before cupping her hands around her eyes. "But I'm going to put my skept-Icles on anyways."

This time, it was Dipper's turn to push her, almost causing her to crash to the floor. "Whatever." He said playfully before straightening himself out.

Mabel let her hands drop to her lap. Standing up, the twins looked at each other before looking out at the open door, impending dread settling over both of them, crushing their cheer.

Last night, they had gotten home so late, everyone went straight to bed.

Well, almost everyone.

But now, today, was a new morning. A morning both could feel would be anything but pleasant.

Dipper broke their silence first with a sigh. "Let's try and get this over with." He muttered.

His sister didn't reply for once, she simply reached out her hand and clasped his in a tight grip.

"Ready?" She whispered to him.

"Ready." Dipper replied, his voice shivering a bit.

The twins left the bedroom.

The two stared at where the lights were creeping up from downstairs. Usually, it meant wonderful things. A fresh breakfast with pancakes, waffles, eggs, or any other wonderful foodstuffs with fresh juice and morning greetings and kisses from happy parents.

However, right now, that light was more like the flames of hell, ready to judge and burn them for their past transgressions.

Still holding each others' hand in a tight embrace, the two didn't even look at each other as they descended the stairs, one soundless step at a time.

Both twins wished for the creaks back at the shack. The silence was too unnerving.

Much too soon the duo reached the bottom of the stairs, glancing at one another, nervous and unsure.

Letting out a small breath, Mabel pulled her brother along into the kitchen.

The sharp smell of coffee was heavy in the air, blending with the stink of the full trash can pushed in the corner. The counters were filled with dirty plates and old plastic bags, forgotten in the wake of what had happened.

Both their parents were sitting at the small kitchen table, hunched over their own cups of coffee, looking as if they hadn't got a wink of sleep last night.

"Morning!" Mabel greeted, hiding her nerves behind fake cheer.

Both parent's eyes snapped onto the young girl. Their orbs were heavy with questions and forced calm, tearing the two apart.

"M-morning, Mabes." Her father replied, voice shivering slightly.

Going over to a cabinet, Mabel looked for a bowl.

"They're all dirty." Her mother murmured quietly from behind.

Mabel nodded her head slightly to show that she had heard her. Closing the door, Mabel went across the kitchen and opened a second cabinet. Taking a small glass mixing bowl off the shelf, she proceeded to grab some random cereal off the shelf. Turning to the refrigerator, she pulled out the milk and poured it into her cereal, sloshing it everywhere in the process. After returning both milk and cereal to their proper places, she pulled out the only clean spoon left, a wooden mixing one, and sat down next to her parents, shoveling food into her mouth without really tasting it.

"Mabel." Her mother asked quietly, her hands twisting together in nerves. "I know it will be hard with- with everything going on but we 'do need to talk about- about all this." Her mother gestured around vaguely.

Mabel winced, shoveling the last dregs of soggy cereal into her mouth. She'd already explained before...but that was different. They had already known about the supernatural of Gravity Falls.

Known it.

Faced it.

Fought it.

But this was new to her parents, who grew up in the city, who barely went into the woods, who didn't know the difference between a wolf print and a bobcat print.

How was she to explain everything? From Bill Cipher to his plan to Dipper to- to everything?

Mabel's shoulders tensed up under the stress, uncertainty in her mind. How was she even going to start?

Meanwhile, her parents looked on at her, watching the young girls' brows furrow, her brown eyes spark, the biting of her lip, and the stiffness that grew in her bones.

Mark and Anna were terrified. Terrified and confused and shocked, just as they had been before, when they stumbled in on this mess.

Mark tightened his hands into fists, struggling to not bark out an order for Mabel to explain.

Anna simply continued to toy with her thumbs, eyes sharp and focused on her daughter, teeth worrying the inside of her cheek.

And, invisible to all but one, Dipper floated over the seat where he used to sit at, arms wrapped around himself, eyes darting between the three corporal beings around him.

His frustrated father.

His worrying mother.

His scared sister.

The air was oppressive and tense, heavy with events that weren't fleshed out.

Floating closer to his sister, the boy-turned-demon placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving a light squeeze of support.

Mabel glanced up at him and flashed a tiny grin, eyes shining.

Taking a deep breath, she started.

Mabel began with the supernatural in Gravity Falls, explaining a few of the creatures they had encountered in their wild adventures.

Including one Bill Cipher.

Mabel sped through her stories a bit, focusing on the Dream Demon more than anything.

After all, everything that's happened so far had been his fault. Right?

Her parents reacted as any parent would; worry mixed with relief, uncertainty along with slight acceptance for what happened in those past adventures.

At the mention of Bill Cipher, and the outlining of his plan to meld the Mindscape with reality, both Mark and Anna went pale.

Mabel's voice shuddered slightly. It was one thing telling friends that an accident happened to make her brother a demon.

It was an entirely different thing to explain to the two people she'd trust her entire life how exactly their son was ripped away from the physical world in detail.

Wrapping her arms around herself, the girl's voice finally trailed into silence, story complete. Truth and events laid out for the both of them, to see and feel.

To accept.

Both Mark and Anna stared at their daughter in horror, fear and sorrow on both their faces.

The quiet around them was deafening; no one knew what to say next, what to do.

What was there to do in this situation.

Mabel glanced at her parents between her lashes, taking in her mother's tears and her father's trembling.

In return, Mark and Anna stared back at Mabel, speechless and, in a way, even more confused.

But not what was in the past.

No, as both husband and wife clasped their hands together in a shaky grasp under the table, both decided that it wasn't what had happened that struck fear into their veins, that made headaches flare and hearts clench.

No, it was the unpredictable and rocky future that not only affected their small family, but the world all around.

And, in a strange and detached sort of way, Mabel  _understood._ The chaos was here, after all. In the form of bloody and fiery riots breaking out all over the world, in the form of arguments, in the form of radio stations and news and any other media in the world screaming  _look at what is happening here! Just look!_ Preaching about the end of days, the beginning of the end...

The Apocalypse.

Mabel peeked over at Dipper, who wore a grim expression on his smooth face, eyes alight and in that moment, Mabel knew Dipper was thinking about the same things she was, agreeing with every flicker of thought that ran through her mind because the same wondering, the same realizations were running through his.

The Apocalypse.

It hadn't come in a rain of fire. No Anti-Christ risen up to take the world.

Nor did it come by ice, freezing people in their methodical lives, taking over soul after soul after soul until nothing on the Earth was left but paralyzed apathy.

It didn't even come in a crash of nuclear warheads, tearing the world apart as women, men, and children screamed as they were vaporized on the spot; cruel orders from ruthless men in nice suits who deemed the world must be at war once more for whatever moronic reason they could come up with.

No, it hadn't been any of that. The Apocalypse had crept in on tiny black feet that didn't even touch the ground, sweeping over a nowhere town in a nowhere state that lied right above a hubbub of the world, taking it by a storm of cold blue fire in a basement under just another tourist trap.

The Apocalypse had come with a pair of twelve-year-old's and an old Great Uncle and only now were the ripples from that single event rippling around the world, changing  _everything._

Mabel felt all her energy leave her body, collapsing onto the table before her. She had known before, but only now did she  _know_.

It had been a slow realization to be sure, and feeling the familiar pair of arms wrapping around her once again, an invisible comfort only she could feel, Mabel knew that the realization had just hit Dipper as well.

Hit both of them like a runaway freight train, invisible and unnoticeable until you were dead, flattened by metal gears grinding away at the burning track.

A head buried into the back of her neck, but no tears fell.

Like her, Dipper couldn't cry.

Like her, all he could feel was the  _numbness and oh my god this really is all_ my  _fault!_

She trembled all over, the weight of the world literally on her shoulders and soul, dragging her down into depths she couldn't fathom.

Gravity Falls had been a blanket over her eyes, a simple town with not-so-simple secrets and folks that blinded her to the merciless reality that was taking place right outside the forest.

After all, all television could do was show you what was happening in some foreign and crazy part of the world.

But now she was in that crazy part of the world, was smack in the middle of the mess she and her brother unintentionally caused. Sure, it was Bill's fault, but they had been the catalysts; the harbingers of this confounding and terrifying future.

Mabel glanced up and through her mound of hair to see her parents silently stand up and wander away, unable to look at her anymore.

Her heart broke.

_They need time._ She told herself.

_I need time._

Mabel didn't know how long she laid there, her brother's arms wrapped around her in a backwards hug, heart barely beating as her emotions played across her mind. She felt both tired and energized at the same time, a confusing energy that didn't make any sense to her. It was like pure cafine had taken over her, pumping through her veins, integrated into her blood.

And she knew she would crash.

After all, she was burning already.

However, as these dreadful thoughts played out in her mind, vile and thick with a sudden depression she didn't know she was capable of feeling, Mabel knew at the very least, she wasn't feeling alone in her thoughts.

No, Mabel wasn't alone. She was never really alone, after all.

Dipper gripped his twin in a careful hug. He could feel his form flicker-  _glitch_ in and out of who he was and who he didn't understand yet and  _didn't ever want to understand._ It was a abhorrent feeling, the two sides of him not exactly battling for dominance of his mind, but more like teasing around with him, a quiet game of cat and mouse with himself in which he didn't know who the players even  _were,_ never mind the cat and mouse.

He was torn in so many ways, in so many different directions, feeling a torrent of emotions that both belonged to him and didn't...

It made his head spin. Made his teeth grit. Made him want to scream. Made him want to whimper.

But all Dipper did was hang on tighter to his anchor, to the one solid thing in his universe of illusion.

Dipper didn't want to focus on his thoughts, on his realization that it  _really was all his fault just look at your parents..._

_Look at the world..._

He didn't want to think about  _any_ of that but the mind was a fickle and cruel thing, loving to reply the most terrible of things over and over, twisting it a bit every time, making everything seem so, so much  _worse._ But in this sort of situation, where the world was tearing itself apart at the seams without abandon or care, it was hard to imagine something  _worse_.

No, not just hard. Impossible.

Just as his mind was a disaster of half-thoughts and fears, his heart- no, he didn't have that anymore, did he? Hell, did he even have a  _soul_ anymore?

Do- do  _creatures_ like him even have souls?

Dipper didn't want to know, but whatever that was left that allowed him to feel emotion, was a mad torrent, an ocean swirling with hurricanes made of hurt and confusion and anger at himself with clouds and wind of self-loathing to boot while tsunamis battered him with a sick pleasure of delight, exhilarated at the carnage, proud of what he had brought upon the world.

Mabel may had been the god of destruction, but he was the harbinger of the collapse.

He had brought this terror, this  _agony_  upon the world.

He had caused the Apocalypse.

And the part he recognized,  _him,_ truly  _him_  at his very core felt what any halfway-sane person would feel at this revelation.

Horrified. Self-hate. Repulsion. Rage. Sorrow.

But that small part of him, that part of him that he could feel but  _not_ accept,  _never_ accept, felt...elated. Pure  _pride_  at the thought.

He had brought the Apocalypse. No one else.

Dipper closed his eyes. He couldn't handle these emotions.

And through that storm of confusion that was his mind, Dipper found the eye of apathy lingering in the middle, a safe-haven from himself.

And the child demon numbed his metaphorical heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short, but I have some bad news.
> 
> Even though I have the first 10 arcs planned out for this story and such, I've had the most terrible writer's block for this story recently (as you can probably tell with the shortening chapters and fall in quality) On top of that, I want to focus on my other fics I'm working on, namely my new one, Life is A Fairy Tale Because I want to get that one done before the new episode in July.
> 
> So, as of right now, this story will be put on hiatus.  
> I have no clue if I will return or not, it matters if I'll still be hanging around in the GF fandom after LiaF is over with and if I still want too. I do want to continue and finish this story, but with the writers block and current lack of motivation, it's not going to happen.
> 
> Plus, I wanted to kinda end this on a...not a positive note, but this is a good cut off point. So yeah.  
> For now, I'm going to go ahead and mark this story as complete. But as I said before, I will try to return to it and finish it!
> 
> Thank you guys oh so much for reading and enjoying this. It was a blast to write.  
> Stay classy, folks and maybe I'll see you again next time!


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